Redemption
by Bahamut.girl
Summary: An ordinary girl, with untapped potential, has been chosen to be trained by the Mortal Kombat winner Liu Kang. Scorpion must escort her through the wilderness to Liu's hideout. Trouble finds them. But doesn't it always?
1. Chapter 1

The man once known as Hanzo Hasashi peered between two gnarled tree trunks at his intended target. If he had pupils they would have been pinpricked like a hawk, but as it were the only indication of concentration were his dark eyebrows knit together in a line on his forehead. He sighed for the umpthteenth time that day, running a calloused hand over his face. When was Lord Raiden going to show himself? The former leader of the Shirai Ryu, now known in fear by his enemies as Scorpion was not a patient man.

As if on cue Scorpion felt the hair on his arms rise and the air came to life with the crackle of static. The air suddenly smelled of ozone, like the scent left behind after lighting struck the earth. If Raiden knew his entrance was marked with such obvious signs, he might have been afraid to teleport. But Scorpion knew that these signs were not normally detected by the average person. Being a ninja sometimes had its benefits. Scorpion frowned, and sometimes it didn't, he thought.

Before his thoughts could take him down a dark path Lord Raiden stepped up behind him.

"Have you been waiting long Hanzo?" Raiden asked, crouching beside the other man.

"My name is Scor-"

"Scorpion then. You see the brunette there? The one with the green cloak? That's the one"

"Her?" Scorpion all but yelled, an expression of disgust on the lower half of his face that was never seen. "I thought it might have been the other one...the...fat one"

Raiden chuckled "Why does it matter old friend? None of these woman know any martial arts. They are all potential prey for any of Shao Khan's peons" Now that he thought about it, they were not but sitting ducks out here in the woods, with only two guards to escort them to Kish. The thought made him cringe. But as a God, his priorities sometimes outweighed his conscience. Perhaps he would shadow them to the next town, just to make sure they arrived safely.

"But why her? She looks ordinary enough...maybe even a little ugly. In this light anyway. What's so special about this one?" Scorpion asked, though he was usually not one to question the will of the God's. This task seemed moot from the beginning, and it was in his nature to avoid pointless endeavors whenever possible.

"They can't all be busty beauties like Sonya and Kitana Han...my friend. Besides, the gods have seen something special in her. She is to train with Lui Kang, and the other winners of previous Mortal Kombats. They have seen in her future a great destiny, perhaps even larger than my own. And she must be kept safe"

Scorpion shrugged, wishing he'd never asked. He'd do the job asked of him and he'd do it well. Failure was not an option. "And your side of the deal? Do you really have the means to hold up your end of the bargain?" he asked.

"I have spoken with the God's and they have assured me that while your request is not usually granted, they will do the best they can to fulfil it, should you succeed in delivering the girl safely to Lui Kang's hideout"

"It will be done" Scorpion growled, not liking the _should_ in Raiden's sentence.

"Good!" Raiden stood and bowed low to the other man "Good luck, and until we meet again" And with a crackle and a puff of sickly smelling smoke Raiden was gone.

Scorpion groaned...he forgot to ask her name.


	2. Chapter 2

Scorpion walked thought the makeshift camp of about thirty women and two burly guards. He was not intimidated by their size, however, even as they tried their hardest to force him into spontaneous combustion with their glares. Scorpion smirked, if only they knew.

Fifteen or less temporary lean-to's in two rows made a path as he headed toward the girl he was charged with protecting for the next four odd months. Some of the older, wiser woman shied at his approach, grabbing a few scrawny teenage girls to follow them to a safety their wizened brains knew came from nothing but distance from this stranger in their midst. The girl, he saw, was made aware of his presence by an wrinkled old crone, who had the nerve to point a shriveled finger in his direction. She turned to see him and smiled.

Scorpion stopped in his tracks. What? A smile? When was the last time anyone had smiled at him? Did this girl even know who he was, how many people had torn apart with only his hands? Surely she was screwy.

He almost took a step back as she made a beeline for him, that damn smile still plastered on her face.

"I thought I was going crazy..." She said as she stopped in front of him. So that explained it, she was outright demented. When Scorpion said nothing, she continued "Noone believed me" She frowned "I knew you were coming for me, I told the women of my dreams of the one called Liu, the need I felt to go to him. Are you here to take me to him?" Her eyes, green in the light of the forest, pleaded with him. For this truth, this longing in her to be fulfilled. He looked around again, noticing the ordinary faces, the common clothing, this life of repetitive nothingness that didn't seem to fit on the face of this girl standing before him. Suddenly he could almost see what Raiden saw in her. She was not born into this life. The monotonous repetition of daily tasks expected of women. No, she was made for something more. Now that he thought about it, she stood out here, among these people. He couldn't bring to mind a single face he had passed on the way through this camp. They all blended together in a blur of brown, flat colors and a meaningless life not fit to be remembered past a spoken eulogy. She was meant for something greater than this. And he would deliver her to that life. His quest had great purpose suddenly, and with that realization he felt the need to speak to her.

"We leave now" He said.

Nodding, she stood a little straighter, lips set in a thin line of firm resolve. She was prepared, he saw, waiting for this day like the other women waited for grain to ripen. He watched as she approached a few of the women, hugged a young girl and then ducked into a tent. When she reemerged, carrying a satchel and a walking stick, she passed the other women without a word.

He made his way out of the camp and she followed, silently. He headed North.


	3. Chapter 3

_Ok, so the Scorpion I imagine in my head for this story is the one from the new Mortal Kombat game for Ps3. Look it up if you don't know what i'm talking about. Also, for how my Scorpion looks without his mask is the one from Mortal Kombat: Legacy. If you, again, don't know what i'm talking about go to youtube, search Mortal Kombat: Legacy and watch episodes 7 and 8. And if you haven't seen this series yet then shame on you! lol, it will seriously change your life. _

They walked for two hours with not one word spoken between them. She seemed content to simply follow this man wherever he would lead. He glanced occasionally at her to find her smiling to herself. She seemed happy just to be walking away from that life where she didn't belong, never fitting in with the throngs of women who bent over and accepted whatever life threw at them.

When finally he slowed, bending on one knee to examine an animal track she deigned to speak, though not with what he had expected.

"What is your name stranger? And why do you wear that mask?" she asked

"My name is Scorpion"

When it seemed he would not continue, she merely smiled again "My name is Cecil"

They made camp after the sun had found peace behind the mountains. Scorpion wanted to establish a routine early on with this girl of how he planned to travel. Rise early, travel until dark. He didn't know if she could handle the pace and he didn't care. She made no qualms however, simply set down her pack and went in search of firewood.

He didn't bother with a tent since the season allowed for warm nights. And if Cecil had misgivings about the arrangement she didn't voice them. It seemed to Scorpion that she wasn't afraid of many things, including him, which bothered him somewhat. Most people shied away from him merely from an inner sense of survival. And rightly so. He was, after all, the epitome of the walking dead. Reborn from the ashes to seek revenge on the one who murdered his clan and family.

The brain, under threat, worked in two ways: Fight or flight. Very few people chose to fight him. Flight was the usual response he got from mortals not seeking a death wish. But this young girl did neither. Merely floated in the impossible existence between fight and flight. She chose to follow him. The thought unsettled him, and he frowned as he watched her skilled hands deftly start a fire that, if he chose to, he could have snapped from his very finger tips.

Yet, there was something about her that irked him, pulled at the very senses that made him a warrior. He sensed that a great power rested within her, and that she had a secret. He made no move to ask her such an divulging question though. For he had no intention in becoming friendly with such an inferior creature.

Scorpion was roused from his musings when he heard her speaking.

"..out tomorrow?"

"Early" he responded, clearly annoyed with her question.

She seemed a bit put off with his short reply "Im guessing your not to thrilled at having to escort me to Liu Kang. If I had it my way I would go myself, but I do not know the way. I can take care of myself from ruffians and bandits but..." Scorpion interrupted her with a scoff.

"You have no idea what kind of evil lies outside the world of washing clothes and making bread. Your most imaginative nightmares cant conjure up the kind of malignant creatures that I have been assigned to protect you from" He growled.

Cecil's eyes grew wide but her voice was steady as she spoke "You know nothing about me"

"I know enough"

She seemed to come to some conclusion in her head. Squaring her shoulders she stood with dignity and walked to her side of the fire and laid down, but not before she got the last word in "Since it seems you have no desire to be on friendly terms with your 'assignment' I will leave you alone and go to sleep. Goodnight" and with that she rolled away from him and closed her eyes. But sleep did not come easily for her. She was used to sleeping inside of a tent with at least one other person. When she saw Scorpion made no move to assemble one she kept quiet, not wanting to be rude to the person who had helped her escape a less than desirable fate.

It was hard for her to imagine now, the joy she felt when she saw Scorpion arrive at her campsite. She couldn't describe it, just _knew_ that he would be the one to take her to Liu Kang. Now that she knew that he was an insensitive jerk with no people skills whatsoever, she grew embarrassed thinking of how happy she had been to see him as her savior. But the more she thought about it, the more the feeling grew. Of course she would never tell him that! If he hadn't shown up and taken her away with him she would be arriving in Kish within the week already promised to one of the high Generals that resided there. Ready to be handed off to a stranger, expected to be ready for marriage the next day. Her step father had seen no problems with the arrangement, for he was rewarded a hefty sum for his side of the trade. The thought made her sick.

After a few more minutes of heavy thought, most of which included spearing Scorpion where the sun didn't shine, she felt the tell-tale signs of her body relaxing for sleep. Her thoughts became jumbled, her limbs weighed down with heaviness and her breathing became even. She closed her eyes and prepared for another night of training.

On the other side of the fire Scorpion listened closely for sounds of approaching footsteps into their campsite, felt the air for any sign of evilness in their wake. He felt nothing and heard only the soft breathing of the girl asleep not eight feet from him. Gods, she slept like the dead. If she wasn't such a sensitive weakling he might have gotten pleasure out of reminding her of her good fortune in the fact that he required very little sleep.

He rose to his feet without making a sound and made to lean against a tree, crossing his arms across his chest and preparing to meditate. It was the easiest way to rest his body but keep his mind and wits about him in case of intruders.

He remember with fondness when his master had taught him the art of meditation and the benefits it had on the mind and body.

"_To study meditation is to study the self_" his master had said "_...to study the self is to forget the self and to forget the self is to be enlightened by ten thousand things. The mouth is kept closed Hanzo, the tongue pressed against the upper palate. Each time you breath you are empowering yourself with the ability to put your mind where you want it, when you want it there, for as long as you want it there. That simple fact is extremely important" _He was a wrinkled old man, hundreds of years old perhaps. Eyes black as a well and just as deep. It had taken Scorpion months to master meditation. His natural reclusive nature didn't help him as he thought it would. He needed to open up to everything around him, and that was something that was hard to overcome. He took a deep calming breath and focused on the sound of his masters voice, the ghost of his teacher, in his head "_Scattered mental activity and energy keeps us separated from each other, from our environment, and from ourselves. In the process of meditation, the surface activity of our minds begins to slow down. The mind is like the surface of a pond-when the wind is blowing, the surface is disturbed and there are ripples. Nothing can be seen clearly because of the ripples; the reflected image of the sun or the moon is broken into many fragments" _

"Out of that stillness, our whole life arises" Scorpion whispered, mimicking the voice in his head.

His mind had just begun to drift when he heard a strange noise rising from Cecil's sleeping figure. She was moaning, and gasping quietly.

"...nightmare" he said to himself, recalling their earlier argument over just such a thing. He wondered momentarily if he was responsible for it but listened closer when her gasping took on much stranger overtone. Her breathing had picked up pace and with each breath expelled was a barely imperceptible sigh. Scorpion knew he'd heard the sound before, once long ago in a life he could barely remember.

Suddenly he recalled where he had heard such a sound and almost jumped back in realization. Those sounds were...sexual! She was moaning in...pleasure?

He felt heat rise to his face and immediately found a reason to head off into the woods, putting as much space as he could between himself and the girl.

Once at a safe distance he allowed himself a large breath. Was this strange mortal so starved for male attention that she dreamt of intercourse? He truly would never understand some things.

The next morning, loath as he was to approach her, Scorpion was forced to forcible shake Cecil awake. And when he was finally able to rouse her she looked more tired than the previous night. Odd, she had almost a full seven hours of sleep.

When at last they had finished packing up and were on the trail again she seemed to drag her feet. Her eyes lids sagged with exhaustion and she stumbled often. She had the look of a person who had spent the whole day training. Scorpion almost laughed out loud. Taking a sidelong look at Cecil he could see that she had probably never done any training in her life. Her arms were scrawny, with flat wiry muscles. Her legs, though shapely had bare traceable lines of muscle. Sure, she had a fine shape for a woman...but a warrior? Not in hell's fire.

She stumbled again, this time catching her foot on a root and nearly falling on her face. She didn't carry herself the way a fighter would. Muscles taut and ready for action at a moments notice. The cat-like grace that came with years of training one's body to it's ultimate physical limit. It took years for a fighter to gain such skill and control over the body. This girl was weak, clumsy and loud.

Scorpion decided that when he delivered her to Liu Kang, he would hand her over with a very sincere 'good luck partner'


	4. Chapter 4

It took the better part of four days for the two to establish an acceptable traveling routine. Even so, Scorpion found he loathed traveling with a woman. He hated traveling with anyone for that matter, but women, or maybe just this one, it seemed, had certain expectations of her companion that made the trip rather arduous. And every time Cecil spotted any type of flowing water she insisted that they make camp so that she have the opportunity to bathe. It was ridiculous really, who in this world did she have to smell good for? He certainly didn't care whether she smelled of flowers and soaproot rather than personal odors. And he nearly guffawed the fist time she had finished bathing and threw him a soft leather hide exclaiming "Your turn"

Scorpion had to quell the impulse to smell under his arms. What on OtherWorld did he need to bath so often for?...women.

On the seventh day, just about an hour before sunset Cecil spotted a stream of running water that gathered into a shallow pool beside some large boulders. "Water!" she screamed, making Scorpion jump out of his skeleton. "I can bathe!"

"Dammit woman! It's only been three days since your last bath. Why must we stop every time we come across fresh water? At most we should fill our water bags and be on our way. This is no pleasure trip!"

"I know that!" She said, placing a dirty hand on her hip, which stuck out just a bit more than usual in defiance "I wont be long, just go stand over there and wait" dropping her bags to the ground, she began rummaging through them until she found a large pliable leather deer hide.

"Trust me, I have no desire to gawk at whatever it is you think you have to offer a man..." Scorpion said, looking her up and down, stopping at her rather small breasts "...but I can't protect you if I'm forced to keep my distance"

Cecil crossed her arms over her chest and huffed "Listen you! I'm not going to bathe with you standing around like some pervert hoping to catch a glimpse!"

"A glimpse of what?" He shot back, hearing her gasp. And instead of gracing him with a retort Cecil merely turned on her heel and walked toward the water. "Fine! But don't whine to me when you get eaten by a man eating water snake!"

'I don't believe him!' Cecil thought angrily. Once out of eyesight she hid behind a boulder and hurriedly tore her clothes off, shaking them out and placing them on top of her shoes, within arm reach of the water. A timid big toe was placed in the water to check the temperature and with one last glance around, to check for Scorpion spying on her she dove into the cold water.

She shivered as she emerged from the cold spring, noticing the drop in temperature as they traveled closer and closer to the mountains where, apparently, Liu Kang had a hideout of sorts. The days were still comfortably warm, enough to travel with a sleeveless tunic, but as they traveled closer toward the snow covered peaks the nights grew progressively colder. 'Along with Scorpion' she thought dryly, rinsing the travel grime from her face and arms. Her thoughts took her often to the enigma that was the dark, mysterious stranger who had walked into her campsite a week prior. He had seemed a nice enough guy when they had first met. Quiet, reserved, maybe even a little scary, but the more she tried to get to know him the more callous and closed he became. Shaking her head in utter confusion, Cecil swam in a wide circle, eager to work off some of the stress that came with having the worlds worst traveling companion. She blushed remembering the way his eyes had roamed over her body, stopping at her breasts and she cringed seeing the unimpressed look there. But how could he know that she bound her breasts? She herself didn't even understand the purpose, when Liu Kang had come to her in her dreams explaining that in his clan the woman warriors bound their breasts to keep them out of the way during training and battle. Not that she had a very large chest to begin with, but she felt silly wrapping a piece of leather around her body several times until the support held them close to her body.

She sighed, knowing that the sun was setting and Scorpion would give her an earful if she took any longer, she began to swim back to shore.

As Cecil began the arduous task of binding her breasts her thoughts once again drifted to the warrior in gold and how much he seemed to hate her. Every time she stumbled or yawned he seemed to cringe in annoyance, grinding his teeth and the mere thought of how lazy she seemed. But it truly wasn't her fault. Her dreams lately left her exhausted. And yet, she couldn't begrudge Liu Kang for coming to her in her dreams to train her in the ways of his people. To battle like a warrior of Mortal Kombat. It was a special honor, she knew, that he was able to communicate with her in such a way, and teach her the fundamentals of martial arts even before she arrived at his hideout. But it truly took a lot out of her. Liu did not go easy on her.

Just then she heard a soft hissing sound and felt she wasn't alone.

Scorpion felt the fire within him start to boil his blood. How long did a bath need to take? He had already set up camp, made a fire and collected enough wood to keep the fire going for the night. His patience, what little he had, was starting to run dry. He didn't know what it was that infuriated him about this girl. Maybe it was the way she had tried to become so friendly with him. The man's own nature shied him away from such an distasteful thought. Or maybe it was the secret he knew she was hiding. But why should that bother him? He didn't care to get to know her. He always had an aversion to weak mortals, maybe that was what irked him about her. There were so many dangers in this realm, why not learn how to defend yourself against them? The very thought of someone being so nonchalant with their own life bugged him to no end.

Or maybe it was traveling with an attractive woman that bothered him the most. Sure, she had seemed plain, maybe even ugly when at first he saw her. Traveling with her certainly changed his views about _that_ quickly enough. She was quit pretty in fact, he had to admit to himself. The thought didn't sit right with him. He was on a mission, an important one that would render him with a gift beyond gifts. He had no time to start to care about someone who would eventually be out of his life. Admitting her was scared to form a bond with Cecil took a lot from this man with so much pride. Sure he was lonely, traveling the world in search of a way to defeat Quan Chi. But making friends and lovers was something he shied away from. After all, he had loved and lost in the past. And he guarded himself at all costs against that sort of pain. Cecil would just have to understand that he was not going to become her friend...because eventually she would be out of his life, and he certainly didn't need that sort of drama.

Scorpion glanced again at the direction of the water. His white eyes narrowing at the silence he heard. The forest, usually teeming with the sounds of wildlife seemed to have died. He stood slowly, body unconsciously readying for battle. His senses came alive when he sniffed the air and smelled shed skin and rotten fish. He knew that smell, and it's owner, quite well.

"Reptile" Scorpion whispered, glancing around slowly in search of his old enemy, who had the infuriating ability to turn invisible. He sensed no one nearby so he slowly made his way toward the river, hardly making a sound with each footfall, and hoped Cecil was finished and dressed by the time he got there. When he heard a Cecil scream he broke into a run.


	5. Chapter 5

It didn't take long for Scorpion to reach the river, pumping his legs as fast as they could go. When he rounded a large boulder his masked face froze in shock at what he saw; Cecil, half naked, holding her own against one of Mortal Kombat's finest warriors.

Scorpion was frozen in place as he watch the heated battle in stunned disbelief. Since when did she know how to fight? And fight well? His white eyes followed her fluid movements with a dark battle lust. Oh how he wished he could join in, if only his feet would move!

The confusion intensified when he saw her weak muscles block a well aimed punch from the scaly foe Reptile. Her arms jiggled with the impact, her thigh muscles bunching underneath her rear in a way that no fighter's should. It was an anomaly. Cecil was weak. He had seen it! In the way she walked, carried herself, even the way she breathed was untrained in the ways of martial arts. Her body was too thin, too wiry to be a fighter. And yet his eyes couldn't tear away from her as she fought against the scaled man with as much combat knowledge as a Mortal Kombat contestant. It made no sense!

His thoughts were figuratively torn from his head when he saw Reptile crouch low and sweep Cecil's legs out from under her. She landed on her back with a sharp intake of breath. And in the second it took for Reptile to leap on top of her sprawled form, Scorpion was already there to grab her attacker by the throat and lift him into the air. He might have heard Cecil gasp his name in surprise, but it fell on deaf ears as the battle lust mingled with the adrenaline in his veins and he heard nothing but the steady strumming of his used up heart, beating loudly in his ears.

Scorpion heard the satisfying crunch of the windpipe in his hand give out as he crushed it in his palm. Oh how he loved that sound.

But he also heard another sound, one not so satisfying. A low rumbling bubbled from Reptile's chest and Scorpion smelled the acrid scent of stomach acid. He had only milliseconds to turn his face away before the green creature spit a yellow goop in his direction. It landed with a sizzle on Scorpions neck, effectively causing him to drop Reptile, who immediately turned invisible and uppercut Scorpion under the chin. He landed heavily on the ground and saw retreating footfalls on the leafy ground before succumbing to darkness.

When at last Scorpion came to, he was in a small cave. Not even a cave really, just a jutting outcrop of rock that had a large enough overhang to provide shelter. It was night, and his neck burned.

He sat up slowly and looked around. There was a small fire, not large enough to draw attention, maybe Cecil was smarter than he thought. Speaking of Cecil, where was she?

Scorpion looked around and saw her crouched by a bucket of water. She was chewing on some leaves and spitting into the bucket. His eyebrow raised as he saw her smell the concoction, add more water and then smell it again. When she seemed satisfied she lifted the bucket and walked over to him.

"Since your awake can you pull your collar down?" She asked, setting the bucket next to him and crouching beside him. She pulled out a small strip of leather and dipped it in the mixture.

"How did we get here?" He asked

"How do you think?" Cecil said wryly

"Where is Reptile?"

"The green guy? He ran away, I think. I haven't seen him again but I moved our campsite anyway...just to be safe" Cecil looked at her lap, seemingly embarrassed.

"Are you hurt?" Scorpion asked, looking her over, and noticed that she was dressed in clothes again.

"No" She said, and without thinking grabbed the collar of his shirt between his shoulder armor and neck and started pulling it down. The effect was immediate. Scorpion jerked away from her, and grabbed her wrist so quickly that she dropped the cloth in her lap with a gasp.

"Im fine" He said, and seeing his fingers digging into her arm he let go.

"You've gone some kind of burn. I know how to treat it if you would just..-"

"Yes, you seem to know a lot of things, don't you?" He shot her a hard look "Tell me woman, where did you learn to fight?"

"Oh that. I learned when I was younger from a...person...who...trained me?" Cecil found an opportunity to look in every possible place except for Scorpion's face, knowing what she would find there.

"Bullshit!" He said, rising to his feet and facing her. She stood too, this time defiant enough to look him in the eye. "I know for a fact that you've never participated in a battle before this day"

"How would you even know that?"

"I'm a warrior. The first time I looked at you I knew within seconds how weak you were. It's what I was trained to do" He grabbed her upper arm, albeit more gently than before, and squeezed lightly "You have almost no muscle mass in your biceps, your legs barely hold up your own weight and your hands..." he grabbed her hand in his and held it up, turning it to face her "...are as soft as a flower" Realizing what he said, Scorpion recoiled "...and just as weak" he added.

Cecil dropped her arms to her side, blushing fiercely at Scorpion's statement. "I..."

"You've never fought in a battle before today" He said

Cecil sighed "No" she whispered

"Then how did you know what to do?"

"Liu Kang showed me" Her voice was tiny, like a child's.

"You lie. You've never met Liu Kang. That's the whole reason behind this fools run!"

Cecil glared at him violently "I'm not lying" she said flatly, daring him to call her a liar again. But how could she tell him of her strange dreams? Would he even believe her?

"Explain yourself then"

"It's...I.." Cecil began to pace slightly, then seeing an opportunity, sat herself on the ground. After a few moments Scorpion sat beside her. He stared at her for several seconds before sighing and pulling the collar of his shirt down and exposing the raw burn to her. He was rewarded with a small smile as she reached for the bucket.

Her touch was light as she dabbed her herbal mixture onto his wound. To his surprise and utter relief the burn began to cool as the medicine soothed the raw skin. He exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"The dreams started about a year ago. I didn't understand them at first. Just visions of a man. He was fighting and he was so powerful. So beautiful. I dreamt of him often and soon found that I couldn't wait to go to sleep at night, knowing that he would join me then. I wanted to be like him, and I think he knew it. About a month after the dreams started he spoke to me for the first time. He told me his name was Liu and that if I wanted to learn how to fight I must find him. I told my mother about my dreams and she laughed, saying that dreaming of a man meant I was ready for marriage" Cecil paused for a bit here, a frown tugging at the corners of her mouth, it was not lost on Scorpion. "She told my step father who called me mental, crazy...a witch even. He started planning to have me sent away...he.." For a moment it seemed as though she might start to weep, but she swallowed hard and continued, a true testament to her strength. "...he sold me to a General in Kish. I was to be his fifth wife. More of a whore really" Cecil paused in her soothing dab of his neck, her hand resting on that spot. His skin was impossible hot, she noticed as she looked Scorpion in his cloudy eyes "I was on my way there when you came for me"

Scorpion looked at her for a long moment, the silence stretching between them like the ocean between continents. "Liu Kang has been training you...in your dreams?" He seemed awestruck by this, an emotion she had never seen on him before. It wasn't unpleasant.

"Yes. That's why I've been so tired" She attempted to laugh but it came out weak and tired sounding "A few weeks ago, Liu told me that we couldn't waste anymore time, that my training had to begin right away. And that while he was able to show me how to fight in my dreams, in real life it would be much different. My brain would know what to do, the motions I had learned from Kang in my dreams, but my body had never executed them before, I hadn't built up any real strength"

Scorpion listened with rapt attention, white eyes focused on Cecil as she spoke. She spoke of Liu Kang like some sort of god. "Did he tell you why it was so important to train?" He asked her.

"He told me that all would be revealed when I reached him. And that he would send someone to take me to him"

He smirked "Indeed"

Cecil shivered then and Scorpion noticed that the fire had started to die while they were talking. He stood up and started adding more wood while she spread out their sleeping rolls. They laid down a few feet apart, both staring at the way the fire danced on the rocky outcrop above them. Neither wanted to speak for fear of ruining this precarious moment. Maybe they weren't quite friends, but they weren't screaming at each other. Neither wanted to disrupt this moment of temporary peace.

When an hour had passed and her breathing still hadn't evened out, Scorpion ventured to speak, knowing why she was awake and what thoughts were running rampant through her head.

"How did you like it?" he said in the darkness.

Cecil turned toward him, wondering how he knew she was awake "Like what?"

"Your first battle. How did you like it?"

Her smile lit up the night "I loved it"


	6. Chapter 6

The next day Scorpion had the pleasure of seeing Cecil hunt with her sling. They were walking through a clearing of tall golden grass. It swayed in the wind and their walking disturbed a pair of willow grouse who flew out of the grass in a panic. Their feathers were nearly all white this time of year. Her sling was out within seconds, the long swatch of leather firmly and familiar in her hands. She loaded it with a round pebble and let fly. Before he knew what she was doing he heard the soft 'thump' as the bird hit the ground, dead.

She ran to go pick it up, using rope to tie it's legs to her belt. It swung there, a proud trophy of her talent, until they made camp and she begun to prepare it for their evening meal.

Prepping was never Cecil's favorite part, but it was a necessary step in the process. It first needed to be plucked, beheaded and de-clawed. Only then could it be spit over a fire for cooking. Her deft hands worked quickly and before the stars came out the fat bird was sizzling loudly, sending flurries of ash into the night sky with each drop of juice that fell into the fire below it.

Scorpion was silently impressed that she even knew how to hunt. Chagrin set in a few minutes later when she offered him a tender leg. He ate silently, thoughts bouncing around in his head, never settling on one particular topic. A memory came to him and he had to look away from Cecil remembering the night he had heard her moaning sexually in her sleep, apparently in the throes of an intimate dream. But then it hit him: it wasn't a sexual dream that had her panting like that. He had gotten embarrassed over nothing. She must have been training with Liu Kang that night. He felt better somehow, knowing that he hadn't witnessed her in that manner.

"I know you don't like to talk about yourself, but what are thinking about so deeply?" Cecil asked him after several minutes of watching him deep in thought.

Scorpion certainly hadn't been expecting that question "Supplies" he lied "Tomorrow we will approach a small settlement in the foothills. We will need to stop there and get some things"

"Is it...is it Kish?" she asked

"No. We are miles in the opposite direction from Kish. Regardless, I wouldn't lead you anywhere near that place, considering what you told me yesterday" He said.

Cecil was oddly touched by this, but decided not to voice it "I was supposed to arrive there a few days ago. I wonder how General Hamoto will react when his "shipment" doesn't arrive?" She smiled wryly at the thought.

Scorpion frowned under his mask "Is there anyway he would pursue you? Does he know what you look like?"

Cecil waved a nonchalant hand "Yeah, he picked me out of four other girls, but it shouldn't be a problem. He has no idea where we are, and I doubt he has time to go tromping through hundreds of miles of forest looking for a fifth wife"

Scorpion nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer.

They arrived in a small town the next day, as Scorpion had promised. Only it was larger than he remembered it being. It had grown nearly double the size since he had passed through a year prior.

Cecil had never seen so many people in her entire life. The center of town was a vast array of stalls and food merchants, selling things from brightly colored fruit to necklaces made from seashells. She didn't know how they were ever going to find what they needed, but Scorpion seemed to know where he was going so she kept her head down and followed closely behind him.

It was strange, the way people reacted to him. Where he walked crowds parted, where he looked eyes averted. Like he had some sort of flesh eating disease. Cecil couldn't understand why people would be so afraid of him. But then she took a long look at him, trying to perceive him as a stranger might. White eyes, built arms, and armor that looked as though the devil himself had forged it. And his voice, it had an otherworldly quality to it. All of these things seemed lost on her though, and only until she saw how others were affected by his presence did she herself become aware of it.

A hand slid up Cecil's tunic and caressed her thigh as she walked through a group of people. She gasped and jumped to the side and slammed into somebody. She apologized profusely, glancing around for the offender.

Scorpion grabbed her by the arm then and she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Stay close to me..." he said "...people here have no qualms about robbing you blind"

Cecil nodded and stayed close. She tried to keep her gaze trained on Scorpion's back, but it was hard not to look around. There was so much to look at! People of all different shapes and sizes, tall buildings, and even people with tattoos on their faces. She had never seen so much diversity in all her nineteen years. Her town was much to small to host such a variety of people.

She nearly slammed into Scorpion's back as he came to a sudden halt at a stall and began conversing with the merchant. After several minutes of haggling, Cecil became bored and glanced at the next stall. It was full of knives. Every shape and style. Every size and color. They were beautiful and she couldn't help her feet taking her toward a particularly wicked looking blade. It was a twelve inch, just the right size for her, with a jagged blade and black leather wrapped handle. She knew that she had no idea how to even hold such a weapon correctly, but some strange part of her mind told her that she needed to learn. Like her dreams of Liu Kang, only more primal. Or maybe it was being attacked by Reptile that made her think a knife would have been much more efficient than hand-to-hand combat. Either way she wanted it.

"How badly do you need that weapon miss?" the merchant asked her. He was a tall, hairy man, but he had a kind look. He smiled at her but it didn't quite reach his eyes. He glanced at her and then at Scorpion in the next stall, then back to her. "Are you in some sort of trouble?" he whispered, leaning close to her.

Cecil leaned back "...um...no. I was just looking...sorry" she turned to leave and slammed into Scorpions chest. Her nose throbbed with the impact, her eyes watering. She looked up to see such furious rage on Scorpion's face. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Were leaving" he said flatly, grabbing her upper arm again and leading her through the crowd. Once they reached a less crowded area he let go. "They think I kidnaped you"

"What? Who?" she asked, staring at him in disbelief. Were people in large cities always so paranoid? she thought.

"The stall merchant. He wouldn't sell to me. He said you were not in my presence of your own free will" His face had calmed but there was still rage in his voice, barely suppressed, and fiery.

Not that she thought about it, Cecil's own stall merchant had probably thought the same thing. His words, which confused her at first, now made perfect sense. Telling Scorpion this didn't seem like a good idea at the moment though. He looked like steam was about to blow from his ears.

Cecil smiled at the thought. "Well since were here can we get something real to eat? I'm sure your probably tired of my cooking by now, and who knows where we'll be able to get a real meal again, right?"

Scorpion nodded, thinking that her cooking was the best he had ever eaten while traveling. "Yes, I know a small place where we can get a cheap meal"

"Great. Lead the way kidnapper!"


	7. Chapter 7

The tavern Scorpion led them to was textbook 'hole in the wall' Almost passed the point of being cliche. It was overcrowded, badly lit and smelled of smoke and whiskey.

Cecil coughed as scorpion led her to a table in the darkest corner.

A mug of ale and a plate of food was shoved in front of her. It wasn't exactly what she meant when she asked to get a decent meal. But it was hot and it smelled delicious, so she dug in. They ate in silence for a while. Scorpion staring at his mug, Cecil looking around at the throng of drunken regulars.

"What were you trying to buy earlier?" she asked, breaking the silence. Scorpion didn't look at her, he didn't seem to have heard her. He looked as though his mug was the most interesting thing in the world. "You're a million miles away aren't you?" She said.

When he didn't answer she waved her hand in front of his face. It worked. He swatter her hand away roughly.

"What?" he growled.

Cecil visibly recoiled, the hurt evident on her face. To her utter embarrassment she felt her eyes start to fill with tears. "Nothing...I was just...I'm not hungry anymore" she pushed her almost full plate away and started walking away "I'll wait for you outside" she said quietly, pushing past the lump in her throat. It seemed that no matter what she did he was never going to like her. She couldn't wait until they reached Liu Kang's hideout so she would no longer feel like a burden.

Scorpion made no move to stop her. In fact, with her gone he might finally be able to think!

His blood was still simmering at the bold accusations of the stall merchant. The fact that he wouldn't be able to buy supplies was far from his mind, and no major inconvenience.

Scorpion had never cared for his personal appearance since being resurrected. He knew he had ghostly white eyes, and the tendency to combust into flames when he was angry. None of that bothered him before today. He had always considered himself a decent man. So to be accused of such debauchery as kidnaping an innocent girl, left him feeling angry and a small amount of self pity.

Still, it wasn't Cecil's fault. She was beautiful after all and he was...well...

Cecil swallowed hard, squeezing back the tears forming in her eyes. If she could just make it outside...maybe the fresh air would clear her mind. She felt weak and was glad she had the sense to retreat before she cried in front of Scorpion. He already thought she was a weakling.

But just as she looked up she saw some guards enter the tavern. There was three of them, and when they entered they removed their hats and scanned the tables. The shortest one grabbed the attention of the general and pointed in her direction. Her feet froze in place, and as hard as she tried they would not move.

General Hamoto and his peons made a beeline for her, which was not a hard thing to do considering that she was rooted in place in the middle of a smokey tavern.

Hamoto! What was he doing here? Her thoughts ran frantic. He was supposed to be in Kish. Would he recognize her?

"Excuse me miss, can we ask you a few questions?" The general asked as he approached. His voice was more nasal than she remembered and he smelled of women's perfume.

Cecil kept her head down, afraid to move. Where was Scorpion? She thought. He was only on the other side of the tavern, why didn't he notice that she was in trouble? Some bodyguard! He was probably too busy wallowing in his own imagined self pity to even notice that the man she was sold to was standing right in front of her. Legally, she belonged to Hamoto. Even if she were to ask a stranger for help, nothing could be done. The law was against her.

Suddenly Cecil felt very alone. Here she was in the middle of an unfamiliar city with no friends, no one to help her. The only person she knew for hundreds of miles would barely talk to her and seemed to hate her for existing. She wished she could just go home...

"Miss?"

And just like that she was free from the fearful state that rooted her in place. Now being controlled by something much more unpredictable, she made a mad dash for the door.

Hamoto, for his part, seemed too momentarily shocked to make a grab for her. Too bad for Cecil he had two other men working for him. The first one grabbed her by the arm and spun her roughly towards him. Her palm connected firmly with his nose in an upward motion and once he was sprawled on the ground she kicked him hard in the stomach.

She jumped easily over him and ran for the door. So close!

But she never made it. The second guard grabbed her by the hair and yanked her down. She let out an involuntary cry of pain as she felt several handfuls of hair rip from her scalp. The sound reverberated in her skull. Her wrist was then bent backwards and shoved into her back. There was several gasps from the denizens of the tavern. Though none made any move to intervene. This must have been a regular sight for the people of such a large, and apparently, crime ridden city.

Cecil was spun around violently to face Hamoto, who had an amused glint in his eye. She struggled against her captor until his hand reached around to grab her neck and squeezed firmly.

General Hamoto laughed, walking close to her and gently moved some hair from her face "So much trouble for one little...Cecilia?" A change, so instant it shocked her, came over the general then. His hands, no longer gentle, grabbed that bit of hair in his hand and yanked her towards him. His hands came around her throat as he dragged her toward the door.

Cecil tried to yell for Scorpion, but a large angry hand was clasped too tightly around her throat.

Scorpion was debating with himself wether or not to apologize to Cecil for being so openly cruel. He didn't exactly feel as though he owed her one, but it would make traveling with her much easier if she wasn't angry with him. He sighed and was about to go in search for her when he heard a scuffle break out by the bar. He figured it was a regular occurrence in a place such as this, after all, they were in the very heart of city scum; a bar.

He dropped some money on the table and stood up, his white eyes scanned the room, seeing knocked over chairs, the faces of people trying to look as though they hadn't just seen a fight break out, and lastly, being dragged out of the tavern by her throat was Cecil.

Scorpion was across the room in four strides, anger fueling his feet faster than any battle lust he'd ever felt. He swung the door open so fast that it almost hit one of the guards tailing Hamoto.

"Put. her. down" Scorpion said, rage making his words come out slow and deliberate. Each one a threat, a promise for pain.

Hamoto and his men spun around and to their credit they didn't choose to flee, though Scorpion could tell it was not far from their minds.

The General's grip tightened on Cecil's throat and she coughed out a sound that was barely audible. A sound that made Scorpion's blood boil. Literally. Heat began to emanate from his body, the very air around him warping from the warmth within him. He growled a low menacing sound that intensified the air around him, making it somehow palpable. Real flames bean to spurt from his body, small at first but seemed to grow with each furious breath. The fire grew so intense that Hamoto's men took an involuntary step back, gasps coming from their horror stricken faces.

Scorpion smiled. "Don't make me repeat myself" He said, voice low and full of promise, a promise for death and perhaps a fate worse so. When Hamoto made no move to cooperate Scorpion reached behind him and drew a sword from the sheath on his back. The flames seemed happy to dance their way up the hilt, spiraling joyfully until they reached the sharp tip and sat there billowing like a thing alive.

"The...the townsfolk say you kidnaped this girl" The general said "We are to return her safely back to her family. Leave us be and...and we will spare your life" he was backing up, looking to his men to defend him.

Scorpion laughed, loud and menacing. The very sound of it echoed in the heads of the two guards, and would haunt their dreams for many moons "Save your words for prayer lech, I know what you plan to do with this girl and I will not allow it"

Hamoto's face contorted into a mask of anger at being caught in a lie. His grip tightened on Cecil, who sat wide eyed and defenseless in his grasp "So you're here to play savior ne? And what makes you think she would choose _you_ over her own fiancé?"

"Let her choose then" Scorpion said, the flames licking at his armor died down a bit as he extended a hand in her direction.

The general almost laughed. He remembered the first time he saw her. It was simply a routine trip to establish ties with the local townspeople. He had only planned on staying for one night, eager to get out of the shithole town as quickly as possible.

Until he saw Cecil, carrying a basket of freshly washed clothes, tired and sweaty. His loins ached to have her. So he had stayed and spent the next several days convincing her father to trade for her. It wasn't even a matter of convincing him to trade, but how _much_. His interest sparked the ideas of several of the other men who offered up their daughters to the great general, but he would have none of it. He wanted Cecilia. And why wouldn't she choose him? There were plenty of women who would kill to trade places with her. Suddenly, he felt like playing along "Alright then" He smiled "Honey, who would you rather go with? I can provide you with a beautiful home, all the best sewn dresses. You'll never have to work a day in your life. Women will be jealous of you for miles around" He whispered in her ear and she cringed at the sound.

She looked at Scorpion who was still standing there with his hand held out.

"Do I really have a choice?" she asked the general, turning in his grasp to look innocently in his face.

"Of course you do, my dear" His voice was laced with false sincerity.

Cecil took a step out of his grasp, but could still feel his hands hovering over her. "I choose.." she turned to stare General Hamoto in the eyes "...Scorpion" she said and walked away from him. Her hand reached out to Scorpion's, but she only got a few feet.

"She belongs to me!" Hamoto screamed, reaching for Cecil's retreating form. But she had expected his treachery and had planned accordingly. The hand she eagerly reached for Scorpion with came around in a wide arch, fingers straight and stiff and jabbed the angry general in the throat. A move she had learned from none other than Liu Kang.

She then ducked, hoping that Scorpion would use the opening to make a move. He did.

Cecil heard the sound of a chain and felt a heavy swooshing above her head. She turned to Hamoto to see a spearhead land in the center of his chest. She had just enough time to roll out of the way as the general was jerked forward so hard that blood spurted from his torso and landed on her.

Scorpion grabbed the man by the collar, lifting him to look into his eyes.

"She is free to choose who she wishes" Scorpion said, and then looked at Cecil on the ground "And she chose me..."

Scorpion grabbed the chain and wrapped it around his hand once, twice. Cecil looked away and heard a sickening crunch and the tell-tale sound of blood splattering on the ground. She didn't need to look to know that Scorpion had ripped the spearhead out of Hamoto's chest, claiming it for his own once more.

Her mind didn't register the terrified gasps of the other men, or the sound of their retreating foot steps. All she knew at that moment was a hand extended out to her as she sat in the dirt. A hand that didn't let go of hers even as they ran out of the city and back into the comforting arms of the forest.


	8. Chapter 8

"Potatoes!" Cecil yelled, running up to Scorpion with a armful of the dirty, round vegetable "Can you believe my luck? I can make us something really good with these" she walked to the fire and deposited the potatoes in a pile on the ground.

Dusting herself off she asked "Did you have any luck finding some meat?"

"Only that" Scorpion said pointing to the bloody carcass of a large boar, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

Cecil's jaw dropped "...One upper" she said wryly, but despite herself she smiled broadly. A swine of that size would provide them with fresh meat for several days, maybe even a week if they stretched it. Her mind was already whirling with all the possible ways to cook it over the next few days, and how to keep it fresh as they traveled. She went to work right away, cleaning the potatoes and cut a chunk of meat from the pig to start a roast spit over the fire. If only I'd found some onions, she thought.

Scorpion, his work done, sat back and watched Cecil get down to work. She was quite efficient in different ways of cooking. Her lore of different kinds of edible plants, however, also extended to medicinal uses, as he discovered when she treated his burn from Reptile.

Things were different between them now. It had been three days since their encounter with the lecherous General Hamoto, and though all that could be physically seen was a nasty bruise on Cecil's throat, it was the inward changes that were most apparent.

They traveled together much easier now. Scorpion found that it wasn't that difficult actually when all he had to do was simply ask certain things of her. She was more than willing. And she, for her part, was eager to please him and make traveling together more enjoyable.

Something changed three days ago. Something had awoken in Scorpion that he thought had died long ago. When he saw Cecil in the arms of her supposed fiancé, held by the throat and defenseless, something snapped within him. His need to protect her then was so overpowering, it took all of his willpower not to teleport to the Netherealm and take Hamoto with him. It scared him to realize that his urge to protect Cecil went far beyond what Raiden had asked of him. On the other hand, it was easy to chalk it all up to the fact that she was weak and he was strong. Isn't that what strong people did? Help the weak and defenseless?

Despite his attempts to play off his feelings however, Scorpion felt heat blossom in his chest when he remembered how tightly Cecil had hugged him afterwards. When at last they had reached the forest, having ran for many miles, she had stopped and wrapped her arms around his neck with a very tired sounding 'thank you'

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard Cecil curse softly. He stood up to go investigate.

Cecil felt Scorpion hovering over her. Knowing that he would rather die than actually _start_ a conversation, she set to explaining herself "I cant get the damn head off..." It was an embarrassing admission, but she felt they were past that now.

Scorpion held his hand out, and when she deposited the knife in his palm he squatted down beside her an proceeded to show her how to do it.

"Like this.." he said, angling the knife downward slightly. He made a deep cut along the throat, and then dug in deeper until her felt the tip of the knife hit the spine "...and then like this"

She nodded as he handed her back the bloody knife "Thank you" she said softly and set back to work.

That night it was colder than usual, so they set up the tent close to the fire. It was for Cecil really, Scorpion didn't feel the temperature drop with each passing night the way she did. His skin was hot to the touch, a fire burning within his warped soul. It took only a slight loss in control for flames to burst forth from his body.

Cecil yawned as they set themselves up inside the tent. It was a small tent, meant for one person, but they fit easily enough. "Tonight Liu is going to teach me Katas" She said sleepily. Scorpion said nothing in reply. She hadn't expected him to "He says that practicing in a repetitive manner will help me develop the ability to execute techniques naturally, out of reflex. Is that true?"

"It has been a long time since I learned Kata" Scorpion said levelly. When it seemed he would not continue, Cecil found herself surprised when he began to speak again "..But I suppose that they served their purpose, for I do them in battle without thought or conscious knowledge"

"Whoa, that was a pretty big sentence there. You need a drink of water?" Cecil laughed. Scorpion made no reply, but she thought she saw his eye crinkle just a bit. If he wasn't wearing a mask she might have had the privilege of seeing a smile. Probably not though.

"Go to sleep Cecil. I will stay awake and keep watch"

"You always do" and with that she rolled over and closed her eyes. Her last thought before falling asleep was that tonight was the first time Scorpion had said her name.


	9. Chapter 9

Weeks passed without event. They made good timing now that they established an efficient routine. Scorpion found that traveling with Cecil was quite easy. Besides having to bathe every time they found fresh water, she actually required little maintenance. And she had proven herself a worthy partner on many occasions when her sling brought down meals for them. Her leg muscles no longer ached from the arduous daily travel as they got used to long hours of walking.

As they trekked closer and closer towards the mountains where Liu Kang's hideout was, the landscape changed as well. Trees and fresh grasses were becoming thin, which also meant that fresh foods were also sparse. The nights grew progressively colder and with the waxing days, the first storm of the season appeared and covered the pair in a fresh blanket of powder.

Cecil took to wearing her long hair down, mostly because it kept her neck warm but also because her fingers were too cold to braid it in the mornings. She had noticed that it was lighter now, from spending more time in the sun, but it was still mostly chocolate brown.

On the morning that they awoke to find fresh snow covering their campground, Scorpion noticed a change in Cecil. She dragged her feet all morning, taking longer than necessary to complete simple tasks. It took half the morning to pack up and get on the road.

As they walked he noticed that she seemed distracted, staring at the ground in front of her in a zombie-like manner, and almost walked into a tree. When she sighed for the fiftieth time that morning, Scorpion stopped.

"Are you ill?" he asked.

Cecil stopped walking, looking around as if surprised that they were stopped "Huh?"

"Are you ill Cecil?" He repeated, using the name that fell more easily from his lips with each passing day.

"No, Im fine"

Scorpion was confused, the ways of women were always a mystery to him "Your mind is not here, in this place" He said cryptically.

Sighing, Cecil seated herself on a rock "I haven't dreamt of Liu in three days. I feel...worried" She said, placing her head in her hands.

"You think something has happened to him" It was more of a statement than a question.

"I don't know"

"If something has happened Lord Raiden would inform me. Arriving safely at Liu's hideout is his main concern, and I'm sure that includes your safety once we are there" Scorpion said, by way of placation. He stated facts, and if they offered comfort as well then he was no one to quell it.

"Your probably right" Cecil said, standing up and dusting off her butt. "Let's keep moving, It'd be nice if we could find a cave or something to sleep in. Last night I nearly lost my toes.."

To his surprise, Scorpion found himself actually _looking_ for a cave. Nonchalantly of course. He walked ahead of Cecil, eyes scanning the landscape for signs of such. To his chagrin, he didn't find one.

They slept that night with their tent against a large boulder, which provided them with a much needed break from the wind. It blew outside of their tiny shelter fiercely.

Scorpion, still berating himself for not being able to find a suitable shelter, sat quietly in the corner, his arms crossed over his chest.

Cecil was wrapped in layers of blanket, shivering and rubbing her hands together.

"Is Lord Raiden a king?" Cecil asked, breaking the stillness that seemed to lay stagnate in the air.

"No. He is lord of lightening and Guardian of Earthrealm" Scorpion stated, acting as though it were the most casual thing in the world. That thought changed however when he turned to look at Cecil and found her mouth slightly open, forming an 'O' of surprise.

"Your friends with the protector of Earthrealm? I've heard of him, but a lot of people say he doesn't really exist. That Earthrealm doesn't exist"

"I wouldn't call him a friend exactly" Scorpion said, thinking that if Raiden, in his almighty power, were listening, he might not appreciate the sentiment "And Earthrealm is very real. I've been there several times"

"I wonder why It's so important for me to find Liu Kang?" Cecil said, more to herself than to Scorpion "If the lord of lightening and protector of Earthrealm is so concerned about me arriving there safely..."

"I don't know much more than you do. I was told to bring you there in one piece and I intend on doing that. You shouldn't dwell on it too much. I'm sure you'll find out everything when we arrive"

Cecil yawned, exhausted from the days' trek. She laid down, making sure that blanket was covering every inch of her before closing her eyes "Goodnight O' friend of Lord Raiden" she laughed softly. Scorpion didn't reply, as she expected. Cecil smiled to herself, and fell asleep that way.

Scorpion jerked awake in the middle of the night. He made no noise and sat quietly for several seconds, listening for sounds of danger. He couldn't believe he had nodded off. He didn't require much sleep, but he usually had more self control. The wind was blowing harshly outside of their tent. A loose strap of leather was hitting the tent side in a constant repetitive motion.

Scorpion looked at Cecil and found that she was shaking. He leaned closer and watched for several quiet seconds at her turned back.

She was still asleep but shivering almost violently. Suddenly he was glad he had woken up. If he had allowed himself to sleep through the night he might have woken up to find Cecil dead from hypothermia come morning. The thought tasted bitter on his tongue.

Not wasting any time, Scorpion laid back down next to Cecil, without touching her and slowly slid the blanket down off of her shoulder and down her arm. He then took off his leather glove and softly placed his hand on her upper arm. Good, she didn't wake up.

Scorpion closed his eyes and began to concentrate on his own body temperature. He breathed deeply, forcing his body heat to rise and squeezed her arm a little tighter. He sat that way for several long minutes, until he felt Cecil's shivering begin to ebb. Her body relaxed, and her breathing became deeper.

Scorpion smiled.

The next morning Cecil was in a considerably better mood. She talked animatedly about various topics while Scorpion politely kept silent. It wasn't until she talked about how comfortable she had slept that Scorpion really paid any attention.

"I feel refreshed..." She said, taking a deep breath of the cool air around her "I think the storm let up last night. I slept like a rock"

It was enough for Scorpion to know he had helped her stay warm in the freezing night. He did the same thing for several more nights with Cecil unaware.


	10. Chapter 10

Four days later Scorpion awoke to find that he had indeed nodded off sometime before the sun came up. He looked around the tent to find himself it's only lonely occupant. Cecil still hadn't been visited by Liu Kang, so she was getting more rest and therefore up early.

Immediately, he got up, and exited the tent.

He had no need for alarm though. Cecil was sitting on the ground beside the fire, staring into the dancing flames as if they were putting on a show for her and her alone. She looked deep in thought so he decided not to disturb her.

But as he was about to grab his water bad, she spoke, knowing all along he had been there.

"I have a burn on my arm.." she said softly, voice still thick from a long night of disuse.

'...No' Scorpion thought, and walked over to her, kneeling down to inspect her arm. To his utter disgrace there was indeed a round burn on her upper arm, just where he had touched her. It wasn't a bad burn, just a cherry red mark where he had been touching her for the past several nights, keeping her from freezing to death. He felt like wrapping his spear around his neck until he died...again.

"I think I might have..." Cecil began, but her face suddenly turn as bright as the burn on her arm and twice as red. Scorpion raised an eyebrow in curiosity as to what was causing her to blush so fiercely. "I think I may have...accidently...leaned up against you in my sleep. Your skin is so hot...I can't really think of any thing else that could have burned me"

Scorpion didn't know what to say. Did she think he was mad? Or was she disgusted at the thought of touching him in such a manner? Either way, he released her arm with a quiet "Im sorry"

"Don't apologize. It was my fault"

But it wasn't. And Scorpion knew it. He looked into her eyes for a long, aching minute, trying to convey his regret. It was then that he noticed how brilliantly green her eyes were. They far surpassed the beauty of the most rich forest.

To his amazement, she stared back. Unflinching in her strength, innocent in her heart, and unsurpassed in her beauty. Why had he never noticed before how goddamn beautiful she was? Suddenly he realized what dangerous ground he was treading on. It was one thing to be traveling with an assignment to keep safe. It was another thing to be traveling with a woman, who had proven herself capable of survival, strong, wise _and_ beautiful. Scorpion suddenly felt the need to back away. To escape before he was in too deep. But he found, unexpectedly, that he didn't want to. And it scared him.

Against his will his arms reached out to grab hers above the elbow. And when she didn't recoil he was encouraged to rub his thumb along her soft skin. He almost lost it when she whispered his name.

So lost in her eyes he was, that he almost didn't notice the electric crackle in the air. Almost.

His arms dropped from hers so fast that she almost gasped. He stood quicker than she had ever seen him and took a step back, not looking in her eyes.

Cecil looked confused. What had just happened? Once minute she was telling Scorpion about her burn and the next he was staring at her with such a look that it made her insides quiver. At first she was dumbfounded as to why he would want to touch her, but then her mind started telling her all the good things about Scorpion. His strength, his secret kindness. Her womanly brain picking out all the fine details about his body, and what she could see of his face. Her cheeks burned with rejection at seeing him pull away from her. But the feeling didn't last long.

Their campsite suddenly came alive with the sound of electricity and in one loud burst of light and thunder, a man appeared before them.

Scorpion didn't even turn in the stranger's direction. He glare burning dejectedly into the dirt.

"Scorpion, my friend. I come bearing news" Raiden said, approaching Scorpion from behind and placing a hand on his shoulder.

Scorpion visibly flinched, so caught up in his own dark thoughts "...Raiden. What news?"

Lord Raiden was a little taken back by the state of his usually composed friend. He looked from Scorpion to Cecil, still sitting by the fire, a perplexed look on her face.

"My dear. Please stand" He said, walking to her and extending both hands to help her up.

"Lord Raiden?" She asked, and when he nodded she bowed her head lowly.

"There is no need for such formalities Cecilia. I come here as a friend" His smile was warm, and she returned it without hesitation.

Scorpion finally looked up, and seeing Cecil smiling, spoke fiercely "Why have you come? You have news? Speak it then!"

Raiden's only reaction was to laugh "Yes I bring news of Liu Kang"

"Liu!" Cecil exclaimed "Tell me...us...the news" She seated Raiden by the fire and began to warm up water for tea. Ingredients for the hot drink were found all over, even in the most lifeless of areas. She listened intently as her hands set to work.

"Liu Kang's hideout was infiltrated six nights ago" Raiden began. Cecil gasped. "He will survive, but is badly injured. Liu was able to kill most of them, Kung Lao disposed of the rest. Kitana was injured as well, though not as badly" He said, accepting the tea he was handed with a nod of thanks.

"Princess Kitana is with Liu Kang?" Scorpion asked

"Yes. I have also brought the Earthrealm team to Liu's new location. Sonya, Johnny, Stryker, Kabal and Jax"

"Why did they attack the hideout?" Scorpion asked, though he thought he knew the answer.

Raiden gave Scorpion a long scrupulous look "You know why..."

Scorpion nodded. It was as he feared.

The god of thunder continued "You must be extra careful now. I'm positive that Shao Kahn will send his men after you. Have you encountered anyone so far?"

Scorpion nodded "Reptile"

Raiden nodded as well, knowing that many more were to come "I must leave now. Continue on North. The new hideout is further into the mountains. We will find you when you get closer" And with a smile at Cecil, Raiden vanished.

Cecil was smiling "Can you teleport like that too?" she asked.

Scorpion turned towards her. "Yes"

She hadn't expected that answer, her smiling dropping into a frown "Then why don't you just teleport me to Liu's hideout?"

"Only I can survive my flame wreathed teleportation. Do you have a death wish girl? If that's the case then I'd be happy to" It came out completely wrong, and as soon as he saw the expression of shock on Cecil's face he regretted saying it. The words had fallen from his mouth so easily. He didn't quite understand what was happening. All he knew was that he was confused as hell and wanted a to take back what had happened just before Raiden arrived. Whatever it was that had happened. The ninja didn't really know.

Cecil, for her part, was confused as well. Just before Raiden had arrived, Scorpion was acting strange, though not in a bad way. Now he was back to his old self; A mean, rotten, self loathing monster. Did he really just say that he'd gladly send her to her death? After all they had been through, months of traveling together, _surviving_ together. It wasn't enough to thaw this man's frozen heart. _She_ wasn't enough.


	11. Chapter 11

They continued on their journey in silence, neither wanting to talk about what had happened, or didn't happen, earlier that morning.

Cecil's thoughts were turned inward, thinking of what would have happened had Raiden not shown up at that exact moment. Her skin still tingled thinking of the gentle way Scorpion had caressed her arm. The part that confused her the most was that she _wanted_ him to continue. Since when was she attracted to Scorpion? Surely it hadn't happened right under her nose. She sighed, knowing it did happen right under her nose. The worst part was knowing that this man, whom she had met only a couple of months ago, was incapable of returning her feelings, as trite and innocent as they were.

Cecil didn't know much about Scorpion, but from what she had gathered these past months, he was not as unfeeling as he let on. She knew underneath he was a good man. Too bad for her he just happened to also be a jerk.

Scorpion, walking beside Cecil, was in complete and utter turmoil. He couldn't stop replaying that moment over and over in his head. Like a reoccurring dream, she haunted his thoughts. Would he have been able to stop himself if Lord Raiden hadn't shown up at their campsite? The Shirai Ryu warrior couldn't answer the question. He honestly didn't know what had come over him.

Since their encounter with General Hamoto, Scorpion knew his need to protect Cecil was far more powerful than he liked. But his scarred heart deterred him from thoughts of actually caring for the girl. He couldn't deny it now. How could he, when he so easily let himself reach out to her, _touch_ her as he had not done to any person for many years.

Well he wouldn't let it happen again. Not with so much at stake. He was charged with protecting her, after all. And once she was delivered to Liu Kang he was going to leave. The great Warrior of the Shirai Ryu cared about someone other than himself. So much, in fact that he was willing to walk out of her life once this was all over. It would be better that way.

Cecil suddenly stopped "Did you hear that?"

Scorpion stopped as well. He had. "Get behind me" he commanded sternly. She wasted no time in doing what he said.

He drew both swords from his back and held them in a loose 'X' in front of him. And waited.

They didn't wait long however. They heard approaching footsteps and quiet laughter approaching them from the east.

Scorpion tensed "Stay where you are" he said in the direction of the sound. "Approach me slowly, hands raised" His tone left no room for refusal.

Seconds later four men came into view, hands raised just slightly above their heads.

Scorpion sheathed his weapons "They are just ruffians. Lets go" He told Cecil, who was busy staring at the men. They seemed ordinary enough. All four of them could have been brothers, for they all had short, messy, brown hair. They didn't look like ruffians. Her thoughts were confirmed when the tallest one spoke.

"Were not ruffians. We are travelers. Traders in fact" He said, lowering his hands slowly. The others followed suite. "Are you in need of anything?"

Scorpion was about to walk off, clearly not interested in conversing. But Cecil had other plans.

"Clothes?" she said quietly "Do you have any women's clothing?"

The tall man seemed to notice her for the first time. Probably because he was so intent on not getting cut in half by the tall, scary looking Ninja with white eyes. He looked her up and down approvingly, an action that was not lot on Scorpion, who growled lowly under his breath.

"We have all kinds of things. Let me look in my bag and see what I can find" He removed said pack from his shoulder and knelt down to rummage through it. The others did the same. "My name is Ethen"

"Cecil" she said

"These are my cousins" He pointed to each in turn "Sydney, Clauss, and Rooney"

She didn't answer, and was having a hard time not looking at Scorpion. Clearly he disapproved of her too-friendly actions. But she was in need of warmer clothes and desperate for human interaction. It had been weeks since she had seen another person besides Scorpion and Raiden.

"Aha! Here we are.." Ethen exclaimed, pulling out a light blue satin dress that was as wrinkled as an old map "This would look lovely on a beautiful woman such as yourself"

Cecil fought the urge to roll her eyes. "I don't wear dresses" She stated flatly "Do you have anything a little more practical?"

Ethen smiled "We were just about to set up camp. Would you like to join us? We can talk about trade right here and in the morning you will be on your way again" Clauss shifted nervously behind him.

Cecil turned to Scorpion for an answer. He had his back to her but he clearly knew what she wanted "Do what you want. I'm your bodyguard not your babysitter" He said bitterly and walked off to go lean against a tree.

Cecil fought hard against the emotions rising in her throat. She coughed lightly and looked down, clearly trying to hide her pain.

Ethen approached then "Harsh" he said "Come on, Rooney has the best stuff in his bag. I'm sure we can find you some decent traveling clothes. Speaking of which, where are you headed?"

Cecil seemed to compose herself "North"

"North? There is nothing there but snow, mountains and more snow. You two on a lovers escaped or something?" Ethen, approached Rooney and took his bag.

"Definitely not" She laughed lightly

"Would you guys mind setting up the tent while I trade with Miss Cecil?" He asked his cousins, winking at her. He rummaged through Rooney's bag, pulling out a pair of tight lather pants, a maroon tunic and a black vest.

Cecil's face lit up "Perfect!" she said "It's exactly what I need"

"Good. Let's finish setting up camp and we can talk about what you have to offer"

Much to Cecil's embarrassment, Scorpion didn't help her set up camp. He usually set up the tent while she built a fire, cooked and set out their sleeping rolls.

To Ethen and the others, she probably looked like some pathetic housemaiden. Doing all the work while the men sat around and waited to be served on. The thought made her angry. She was well on her way to becoming a warrior, and in one spurning action, Scorpion had managed to make her feel worthless all over again. In anger she threw the tent down and kicked it into a ball. To hell with him if he thought she was just gonna sit around and let him be an asshole! It wasn't too cold tonight, if they built the fire up, maybe it would keep her warm enough.

Scorpion sat, leaning against a tree, just outside the circle of warmth the fire provided. He didn't want to be anywhere near Cecil at the moment. He was just convincing himself not to let himself get too close to her when she so idiotically invited four strangers to join them for the night. The thought infuriated him. How could she be so stupid? Didn't she know that some of Shao Kahn's men could transform themselves to look like anything they wanted? Scorpion's thoughts halted. Of course she didn't know that. Because no one had told her. In fact, she was almost completely in the dark about this whole situation which in such a large part, concerned her. When he thought about it, she was actually taking this all very well; Her new life, training via dreamscape with Liu Kang, and traveling with a stranger to a secret hideout in the mountains to learn how to fight like a warrior.

How could he blame her for being so naive?

He stood then, ready to return to her side after coming to the conclusion that she really was just an innocent town girl. But when he entered their camp he found that everyone was already asleep. How long had he sat out there thinking? He wanted to be here to see what in the world she had to trade Ethen for a set of traveling clothes. He would never find out now.

He found Cecil sleeping close to the fire, wrapped in a heaping pile of blankets.

Why hadn't she set up the tent? Oh wait, _he_ usually did that part didn't he?

Scorpion sighed, too tired to think much longer about Cecil and the strange effect she had on him lately. It seemed she was all he thought about lately and he didn't like it one bit.

He sat himself against a tree a few feet from her sleeping form. Across the fire he could see the four traders asleep in much the same manner as Cecil. One of them was snoring loudly.


	12. Chapter 12

Cecil opened her eyes to find someone standing over her as she slept. The eerie feeling of it had somehow woken her up. She inhaled sharply and out of gut reaction kicked her legs violently. Her foot came in contact with something and she heard a muffled groan.

The next thing she knew she was being grabbed at from behind. A hand clamped over her mouth before she could think to scream for help. Now voiceless, she turned to look at Scorpion, who was asleep leaning against a tree. Sydney was sprinkling something in Scorpion's face and trying very hard not to inhale the substance himself.

Now desperate, Cecil thrashed around wildly. If she could just get her arms free she was sure she could take down all four of them. Her training with Liu had taught her many things, and one of them was measuring up an opponent by just looking at them. All four of them were taller and stronger than her, but she knew that her training had taken her far enough to beat them in a fight.

Out of instinct she bit down hard on the fingers clamped over her mouth. She heard Rooney scream out in pain and release his hand from her face. It was just for a second but it was long enough for her to scream.

"Scorpion!"

His eyes were open in an instant, systematically taking in the sight before him. Cecil was being held by one of the traders, the others were gathered around her with rope. She was kicking and squirming wildly against her assailant.

Scorpions eyes narrowed in anger. He was now looking at four dead men.

But as he tried to stand he found he couldn't. His limbs refused to obey the signals sent to them from his brain. It felt as though his body was laden with lead; heavy and useless. He tasted a bitter taste in the back of his throat, it tasted of must and loam.

Panic temporarily stole over his half prone form. He tried to lean forward, towards Cecil, but even that was useless folly. He was completely immobilized. It made the fire within him burn with rage.

Sydney approached him them, a half crazed smile on his face.

"It's hard to move, aint it?" He said not so eloquently. "S'from The Dust. You see, traveling from town to town you tend to learn some thangs. Thangs that normal folk don't know about. Like a special shroom that paralyzes you when ground into powder" He laughed a sick laugh exposing several rotten teeth.

Scorpion struggled against what felt like invisible ropes. He turned his attention to Ethen who was now circling Cecil like a hawk circles a prey. It made a knot of anger tighten in his stomach.

"If you touch her you _will_ die" Scorpion said through clenched teeth.

Ethen seemed to suddenly remember Scorpion was there. Apparently he had done this before, captured a defenseless woman, and it seemed The Dust had yet to fail him. He seemed so confidant that his plan would come to fruition. What plan that was, Scorpion didn't know. Robbery? They had little by way of possessions.

"Oh! Look who's awake!" Ethen said "This is good. It's more fun when the lover is here to watch"

Realization hit Cecil like a sack of bricks, hard in the stomach. They were going to rape her. To her surprise she found that she was not so upset. Whereas another woman might have crumbled under the realization and started to weep, Cecil's mind was racing with ways to immobilize these men, take them down and kill them, if she needed to.

Scorpion seemed to come to the same conclusion and struggled violently under The Dust's invisible hold.

"Hoho! It look's as though this one doesn't want us touching his woman!" Ethen laughed, the others joining in a few seconds later.

"You will regret it if you do" Scorpion said pointedly.

"You mean like this?" Ethen said, and backhanded Cecil across the face. Her head swung violently to the side, a muffled yelp escaping her covered mouth. Scorpion growled and struggled more, but to no avail. He could barely move his head. "Or like..._this_?" Ethen grabbed Cecil and smashed his lips against hers. He held himself there, forcefully kissing her for several seconds while she tried to turn away.

Scorpion felt his blood boil. The adrenaline swam through his veins, mingling with the fire that resided there. And then to his utter relief, his finger twitched...

When Ethen released his hold on Cecil's face she spent the next several seconds spitting into the dirt. This angered Ethen. He punched her solidly in the gut. As she doubled over in pain he came back for a second round, but this time she was ready and waiting. She kicked her bare foot into his jaw sending him flying backwards. Then, with all the force she could muster swung her head back as hard as she could.

Pain jolted through her head as it came into contact with Rooney's nose. But it had done it's job: he let go.

Scorpion watched helplessly from his position on the ground. He couldn't help but be impressed at seeing Cecil successfully free herself from Rooney. He watched as she set herself in a battle stance and prepared to fight.

Ethen lifting himself off of the ground, signaled Rooney to attack. He didn't get very far.

Cecil's long legs swung in a backward arch and caught him in the side of the head, sending him gracelessly to the ground.

"Bitch!" he screamed, grabbing the side of his face in pain.

Sydney and Rooney began to circle Cecil in what looked like some warped form of pack hunting. Clauss, remained close to Scorpion, horror stricken and looking ready to bolt.

Sydney's tall lanky form approached Cecil first, taking a few swings that she easily dodged. She feigned a strike to his abdomen, and when he crouched forward to avoid the hit that never came, She was waiting with an uppercut under his jaw. Rooney used the opportunity to tackle her to the ground. They rolled around several times in the dirt, both trying to land on top with the upper hand. It was Rooney, clearly having brute strength over Cecil, who ended up on top, pinning her to the ground. His anger was released with one sharp blow to her face that knocked her temporarily unconscious.

Ethen then grabbed a thick rope and used it to tie Cecil's arms to a tree behind her. She sagged against the rope, bark digging into her arms.

"If you haven't guessed by now we are going to have a little fun. Sit back and enjoy" Ethen said to Scorpion, fixing his hair and approaching Cecil.

"Don't even think about it!" Scorpion screamed. For a moment he had hoped that Cecil might have the power to overcome the four men. But he knew it was fools hope. Four strong men against one petite girl, who had only a few months of training. He was forced to watch, in horror, as they began to circle around her. All but Clauss, who it seemed was too afraid to move.

"She is too pretty to be traveling with a guy like that" Rooney said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"Wait your turn" Ethen said, shooting him a dark look "It's been too long since we've found a woman, im going first" With that said, he pressed his body against Cecil's and ran a dirty hand up her thigh. Then suddenly he stopped, taking a few deep breaths to compose himself. He didn't want to rush it. He moved his hand to her face instead, wiping off some of the blood that flowed freely from her nose and moved the dark hair from her face.

It was too much for Scorpion to watch as Ethen leaned in close and smelled Cecil's neck. He turned his head away as much as he could and closed his eyes. The Dust granted him that much reprieve. He didn't stay turned away for long though, as his sensitive hearing heard Cecil moan and begin to wake up.

Her head lolled from side to side as she came to, clearly in pain from the blows to her face. Her breathing became erratic when she found that she had woken to being bound against a tree with Ethen groping at her.

"Damnit" she said under her breath as if she came to the realization that she could not escape and had accepted her fate.

"That's right" Ethen winked at her "Now let's see these" He said grabbing at her breasts and squeezing roughly "I've been staring at them all night trying to imagine what they look like" his voice was laced with something so much different than the man she had met earlier that day. He seemed to be a monster hiding in human skin. It was terrifying the way his hands gripped her body as if he owned it. The roughness of his calloused fingers seemed wrong against her skin, and a wave of revulsion washed over her. She felt violated to the very core of her being. At that moment she wanted nothing more than to be unconscious again. Knowing later what had happened to her rather than experiencing it.

She looked at Scorpion then, knowing her face was bloody and bruised and hoping he could see the plea in her eyes before it was washed away with tears.

"...Scorpion" she whispered and began then to weep. Ethen's nimble fingers clutched her shirt in a tight grip and ripped at the cloth and the binding underneath until her breasts were exposed to the cold night air "Scorpion!" She screamed this time, pulling against the ropes that held her tightly to the rough tree.

Scorpion sat with his head bowed, eyes screwed shut. His breathing was coming faster and faster as he heard Cecil calling out to him. His heart seemed to break with the soft way she said his name. He would have given his very soul to save her. '..._Cecil_'

"He cant save you!" Ethen said in a sing-song voice, bowing his head to take an erect nipple into his mouth. He then began to kiss her all over, stopping shortly to bite her skin just above her breast. She let out a cry of pain and began to sob harder. Ethen didn't seem to like this "Keep quiet. Im trying to enjoy this"

When Cecil didn't comply Ethen let out his frustration in the form of his elbow connecting with her face. He hit her so hard that the back of her head smacked the tree behind her. She was blissfully silent once more.

Scorpion sat silently. Eyes shut against the sight before him. He concentrated deeply on the fire within him, forcing the anger to help along the heat in his veins.

He turned his attention to Clauss, who watched the scene unfold with fear and disgust.

"You have but a few seconds before the fire within me consumes all traces of The Dust. When this happens I will be free from it's hold and you don't want to be around when that happens" Clauss was young, Scorpion could see. Probably recruited into Ethen's gang with the promise of women and fortune. The rape happening before him was not what the young man had imagined. He looked terrified. "Your friends are going to die" Scorpion continued, feeling the familiar heat of his limbs as they came back into his possession "...run, or I will kill you too"

Clauss, with one last look at Ethen, ran off into the woods.

"I'm coming Cecil" Scorpion said to himself. His legs were burning with the familiar sting of his internal flame. It was a good sign.

He glanced up, and regretted it immediately. Ethen had his hand in Cecil's pants, rubbing in-between her legs, and was working on untying her belt. Rooney and Sydney stood close by, fidgeting with anticipation and the evidence of their erections tight against their pants.

The scene before him was just what he needed. The proverbial 'last straw' before the fire in veins consumed all foreign chemicals within.

Scorpion was on his feet and running at Ethen before the others could even comprehend what had happened.

"GET OVER HERE!" They heard in a voice so demonic that it filled their hearts with terror.

Rooney was just barely able to see something whiz past his face and enter Ethen's back. The sound of clanking chains filled his ears, and he gasped when Ethen was wrenched away from Cecil, a puddle of blood now filling his spot.

Scorpion didn't find as much pleasure as he wanted in killing off the men one by one. Sure, yanking Ethen away from Cecil just as he was about to start raping her had felt good. But as he plunged his flaming sword into the other two, he found his worry for Cecil tugged at his mind, forcing him to end their lives quickly and get it over with so he could go to her.

He found it hard to look at her. His brain screamed at him to grab her, untie the rope and take her far away from this place. But his feet halted and wouldn't move.

Scorpion felt his heart racing madly in his chest, beating in a way it hadn't for many long years. Was it adrenaline? He didn't think so. It was worry.

She looked so different. Just a few hours earlier she was awake and full of life, smiling that damned smiled that tugged at his heart strings. It was infuriating the way she could draw emotion from him like other women drew water from a well. It was exhilarating, and terrifying. And as he stood there, in the silent night, staring at her, he found that he wanted more of it.

But for Scorpion things of that nature were never granted to him. A cruel past had taught him as much. So when he finally approached her he half expected her to not be breathing.

Relief flooded the very core of his heart when he saw that she, indeed, was. After the initial shock of seeing her battered face, and tugging at her shirt until it covered her slightly better, he looped an arm around her waste and cut the rope that bound her.

Cecil's bruised and bloody body sagged against Scorpion. He had little trouble lifting her weight into his arms and collapsing on the ground with her cradled gently against him.

She smelled of blood, a scent that he found disturbing when coming from her. His hand stroked her hair gently as he examined the injuries to her face, reassuring himself that they were only superficial. It was odd, seeing her beautiful face, set in a serene slumber but marred by such brutalities. Evidence of her bravery, her continued struggle throughout it all, painted the picture on the canvas that was her face. Such a cruel artist.

There was a nasty cut on her forehead, but the flow was slowing. Her delicate nose was swollen and still bleeding, but upon closer look didn't appear to be broken.

When Scorpion saw the bite mark he nearly lost it. His whole body began to shiver in rage. He was concentrating so hard on not bursting into flames with Cecil in his arms that he almost didn't notice that she was starting to come around.

"...Cecil" There was too much emotion in the way his voice wrapped around her name, voice thick with something he didn't care to decipher. He cleared his throat and tried again.

This time her eyes shot open, red and dilated in fear. Her hands became fists and she swung them around like a thing alive. She hit Scorpion once, twice and on the third he leg go of her and stood, hands in front of him.

Cecil scooted herself back until she hit a tree, eyes wide with confusion and dread.

"...your safe" was all he said, all he _could_ say. And it turned out to be all he _needed_ to say, for she scrambled to her feet so quickly, running to him and throwing herself at him. And he was there to catch her. Even as they crumpled to the ground together, he was there, holding her against him as she sobbed. Her small hands pawing at whatever she could find and hold onto, they found a piece of unarmored fabric and she gripped it tightly, needing something tangible to hold herself together.

The sadness leaked from eyes in heavy rivulets, burning as they crossed paths with an open wound. And how could they not? There were so many.

Scorpion wanted to say something. To apologize for the horrible failure he had beset upon her. But he found her sobs had rendered him speechless. There was something more to her crying. A deep well of sorrow overflowing on this night because it seemed she was allowed to do so. Her whole body radiated sadness; from the melancholy quiver of her breath to the shaking of her hands as they clenched his shirt so tightly.

Looking around at the bodies, the blood and the rope strewn about their campsite, Scorpion realized that he needed to get Cecil out of here. Away from the place that had caused her so much trauma.

With her still in his arms, he stood and began walking. He didn't stop until the sun had come up.


	13. Chapter 13

Scorpion was reluctant to leave her side. But even in the lethargic state she was in, he needed to go back and retrieve their stuff and he wasn't too keen on bringing her back to the place where she was almost raped.

He had finally stopped walking when they reached a relatively secluded spot. A place, he felt, that she could hide while he recovered their packs. He set her down gently between two large stones and inwardly cringed as she curled in on herself and turned her back to him.

"I won't be gone long. Stay out of sight until I return"

This time it was Cecil who made no reply. Funny how the roles had been reversed.

Scorpion set off at a fast pace, eager to return to her side and offer any form of comfort his presence could bring.

As soon as Scorpion was out of earshot Cecil allowed herself the pity to cry again. She felt awful, inside and out. Her face burned with even the slightest attempt at an expression. She couldn't breath through her nose and, to her disgust, she found a bite mark above her left breast. A mark of shame. A brand of her violation.

But none of the external wounds were anything compared to the injuries to her heart and her mind. No amount of time, she felt, would heal the wounds those horrible men had wrought upon her value of self. She felt violated, to her very core. Used, as no woman should.

Cecil doubted she would ever enjoy the touch of a man now, dirty as she was.

When finally her crying stopped the sound of silence was so engulfing that she almost ran after Scorpion, too terrified of being alone. But the sound of running water filled her ears and any thoughts of running away fled her mind. She lifted herself slowly, muscles stiff and sore and followed the sound.

Dirty, blood stained clothes fell to the ground, cast aside never to be worn again.

Cecil walked slowly into the water, enjoy the coldness against her skin, that wonderful experience of feeling refreshed. Goosebumps dotted her skin as the water rose around her. It was late in the season, and as they moved closer and closer to the snow covered mountains the more the temperature dropped.

She scooped a handful of water and delicately washed her face. It burned where the icy water met open skin. She inhaled sharply, gingerly touching a split on her lip. It was all so frustrating! Why couldn't she have bested them in battle? She had been training, albeit in dreamscape, with Liu Kang, whom she knew to be one of the best fighters in OutWorld.

Cecil sighed, knowing that she lacked the experience that came with fighting real people. What was she thinking taking them on? On the other hand she couldn't just stand around while they tried to rape her.

A determination, fierce and terrifying came over her then. She knew what had to be done. She would _never_ allow herself to be violated like that ever again. She would never be seen as a weak and easily manipulated woman again and she would never be caught off guard. She would be more like Scorpion. Strong, alert and never bested in battle, hell, it took a secret drug to subdue him, and even then he wasn't down for long! Long enough though...she thought somberly, fingering the bite mark on her chest.

Cecil angrily wiped at a tear. She hadn't even known she was crying. But they were good tears. Tears shed to rid herself of an old life, a weak life. They were tears of determination, hot and warm on her cheek like the fire of vehemence within her. Yes, she would move on. She would be alright.

Scorpion ran up the bank of the lake then. She heard his labored breathing, but he said nothing, seeming to stare indecisively at her naked back.

She didn't turn as she heard his booted feet enter the water and begin sloshing towards her. And she didn't turn when she felt a soft leather hide draped over her shoulders. She felt his strong hands grab her then and gather her up in his arms like a child. She had spent half the night in those arms, and she didn't mind one bit as they carried her to shore.

Scorpion carried Cecil back to the large stones and set her down beside her bag. She seemed reluctant to leave the circle of his arms, but got the hint quickly as he turned his back and started making a fire. Rummaging through her pack she found that the only suitable clothing she had were the ones she had gotten from Ethen. She grimaced putting them on, but they were only clothes after all. She shrugged, slipping on the long burgundy shirt and then the vest. The top was tighter than she preferred and now without the comfortable hold of her breast bindings, she felt the outfit was too revealing. But they were warm at least, and she had little by way of options.

When she was done she walked up to Scorpion and touched him on the shoulder, a sign that she was finished. He turned around and seemed surprised at the change in clothing, but if he had questions as to where she got them, he didn't voice them. An act that Cecil was truly thankful for.

Cecil raised a sore eyebrow when she saw Scorpion making a fire, but she didn't ask why they were making camp so early in the day, figuring that he was giving her time to recuperate. Another action that she silently thanked him for.

For the first time since this whole debacle had started, Cecil was grateful that her traveling companion was a man of little speech. Honestly, she didn't know what she would say had she the desire to speak. She was embarrassed, hurt and more than a little angry. But underneath it all she felt a great swelling of gratitude. Had Scorpion not been there...

Her mind wouldn't allow her the pain that came with finishing that sentence. She looked at him then, as he set up their tent with the ease of long practice, and felt that had she riches or wealth of any kind, she would gladly give it all to him. The man who saved her life, and so much more.

That night they ate a brace of rabbits that Scorpion had killed. The meal was fraught with silence save for the occasional popping of the fire and the hooting of owls in the distance. It was not a comfortable silence. Not after the night they had had. A hush settled between them. A silence so thick with words unsaid that it left the air dense with awkwardness. So many moments passed when it seemed the other might speak, but the quietness of the cold night stilted thoughts and froze words on their tongues.

When the quietness between them became so much more tangible than simply the air they breathed, it was Scorpion who broke it. The way he broke many things in life; with strength.

"We should sleep" He said.

Cecil only nodded, gathering her bag and making her way towards their tent. With the proposition of sleep set in front of her it made her realize how exhausted she was. But before she could enter Scorpion walked up to her and halted her by the wrist. When she turned to look at him he caught her face in her hands, tilting her head and examining her face. He turned her face with a gentleness she thought he couldn't possess and stared hard at the cut on her forehead.

He gazed at her for several long seconds until she squirmed under his scrutiny. Only when she forcibly turned her face away did he let his hand fall. And even then he was reluctant to do so.

"Does it hurt very much?" He asked

"A little" she replied, and then ducked into the tent. Scorpion followed a few seconds later.

"Can I ask you something?" Cecil asked when Scorpion entered their small tent. He seated himself beside her and nodded his head, a very 'Scorpion' way of telling her to continue. She brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them to her body. She had that irritatingly charming blush on her cheeks, it made Scorpion wonder "Would you..." Cecil swallowed hard. She seemed to forget herself for a moment, but then she remembered her epiphany in the water that morning. Her promise to herself to be stronger, less vulnerable. Her shoulders squared and she sat a little straighter "Would you train me with your weapons?"

Scorpion was a little shocked at Cecil's request, though he composed himself well. She once again surprised him with her strength. She was only hours out of a traumatic experience that had left her face and body battered, not to mention the emotional trauma of almost being raped, and she was already thinking of ways to improve herself.

It wasn't a bad idea, when he allowed himself to think about it rationally. Though, it took years to master the Ninjato, a little training wouldn't be a bad thing.

Scorpion allowed himself a small smile, though it went unseen underneath his mask "Yes I will"


	14. Chapter 14

They spend seven days camped by that stream. Setting up their tent by the very same large boulders in which he had hid her a week before. It was the perfect location for training. There was privacy provided by the large rocks protruding from the ground, a suitable clearing for practice, and to Cecil's delight, a stream for bathing.

For the first time since they began their journey, months before, Scorpion allowed Cecil to swim everyday, claiming that it was a good workout. Though Cecil suspected that he let her do it because it made her happy. And smiles didn't come as easily as they used to since she was attacked.

The change in Cecil was not lost on Scorpion. She trained everyday with fierce determination and a fiery strength. She woke before the sun came up and swam for hours, then hunted and cooked them breakfast. After eating they began the training regimen, which was no easy thing, as Scorpion did not allow himself to go easy on her. His master had taught him that leisurely training led to bad habits and if a student wasn't pushed hard enough, then an unforseen potential would never be reached.

He was now convinced more than ever that Cecil was meant for great things. And that taking her to Liu Kang would one day benefit them all. Not only was she a quick learner, but her appreciation for the art, her respect for his weapons, made for a deadly combo.

They trained late into night, sometimes skipping dinner and falling into their tent from exhaustion. But she never complained, not once. And Scorpions respect for her grew with each day.

On the eighth day Scorpion woke to find that Cecil had not gotten up early to swim, in fact she was still sleeping silently next to him. She had bags under her eyes that no amount of sleep could hide.

He had taken to sleeping with his hand resting on her upper arm again, as the nights grew colder. He stared at the red mark on her skin, as he did most mornings, and then back to the dark circles under her eyes.

As is somehow sensing his gaze on her, Cecil woke just then.

"Scorpion? What's wrong?" She said, voice rough with sleep.

"You're usually awake by now..." He left the words hanging in the air.

Cecil nodded "...It's Liu" She said. Scorpion raised an eyebrow "He is healed and training me in my sleep again." She smiled softly "He says that I'm improving"

"..you are"

"Thanks to you"

"Hmm" Scorpion nodded before rising to his feet and exiting the tent. A few minutes later Cecil did the same.

Cecil dragged her feet all morning. She skipped her morning swim, yawning even as they made their way to the clearing to train. Training with Liu Kang was a strange thing to describe. Her body was getting adequate rest, but her mind was exhausted. Physically she was not executing the moves that Liu was teaching her, but her brain was soaking up the lessons like a sponge. She felt like she hadn't slept at all.

"Approach me from the side." Scorpion said, handing her one of his Ninjato "Always keep your grip firm, but flexible. And don't forget you feet"

Cecil took the weapon and readied herself the way Scorpion had taught her. Fighting with a weapon was much harder than hand to hand combat. Liu had told her that hand to hand was the foundation of combat merely because it requires only a self knowledge of ones own body, and strength. Scorpion was trying to teach he that a weapon was only an extension of the self; the real power came from the strength of your body, and a weapon only increases your reach.

Cecil thought about the differences of Liu and Scorpion. Liu was wise and patient. He was taught from a clan of monks who told of power within the self. The strength of character over strength of force.

Scorpion was taught in much a similar way. But over time his views and style of fighting had become warped from his thirst for revenge and the anger welling up inside him. His fighting style was brute and vigorous. Cecil smiled, knowing that she would be taught many different things and how lucky she was to have such powerful teachers.

She was interrupted from her reverie, however, as Scorpion grew impatient of her musings.

"Is training with Liu going to effect your training in the _real_ world?" He said, with no small amount of restlessness.

"No" She said, and straightened her stance "I am ready"

"Good"

They battled long into the afternoon. The sun was just beginning to set when Cecil collapsed on the ground from exhaustion. Blood ran freely from her cheek, where a small slice now marred her pretty face. Her limbs felt weak and watery, and as she tried to stand her limbs tingled with overuse.

She looked at the setting sun, knowing that they still had a good hour to train and not wanting to waste it. Forcing her legs into submission, Cecil stood, albeit shakily, to her feet.

Scorpion seemed amused, and raised an eyebrow as he watched her wobble into battle stance. His own stance relaxed a little.

"I think we are done for today" he said.

Cecil spit and hardened her stance "I'm fine. Let's finish this"

Scorpion looked her up and down, taking in the sweat stained face, the heaving of her chest and lastly, the cut on her cheek. He inwardly cringed at the sight of it before turning and walking away. He knew Cecil well enough to know that she wouldn't quit until he forced her to.

Cecil's mouth dropped open and she was about to lay into him about how she wasn't weak when she realized that he was right She was dead on her feet. "Scorpion" She said, and when he turned to her "Can you help me back to camp?"


	15. Chapter 15

Though it wasn't said aloud, both Cecil and Scorpion knew the reason for staying so long in one location. It was the most ridiculous choice also, for they had a great mission ahead of them, a destination that needed to be reached. And yet they stayed, camped by the same stream Cecil had washed away the blood and weakness that awful night had wrought.

Neither had the desire to move, and though it wasn't voiced, they both knew why. They had been traveling together for over two months, experienced things together, and loath as Scorpion was to admit it, more than just the weather had changed.

Cecil continued to train under Scorpion, learning the lore and use of his Ninjato. It had only been two weeks but already her muscles grew and hardened with the intense training. When they trained it was like they were different people. No longer a specter, risen from the dead to avenge his clan. No longer a simple villager, tromping through the countryside to find a martial arts master to train for reasons unknown. They were merely warriors. Partners in a deadly dance.

Cecil learned that in battle, emotion must be put aside and focus must come to the forefront of the mind. Leaving no room for anything else. And she put that lesson into effect when she battled Scorpion. It was hard at first. When he came at her with all the strength and wisdom of a Shirai Ryu warrior, eyes void of emotion and instead full of battle rage, she nearly cowered before his prowess. But she came to learn that it was a necessary part, and if she wanted to survive she needed to forget _who_ it was she was battling.

The morning after Cecil was attacked, she swore she wouldn't ever be weak enough to be put in that position ever again. Her life had changed completely since her days as a simple farmers daughter. She dove into training with Scorpion. Pushed her body to it's ultimate physical limit, drilled Scorpion for all that he knew of meditation, martial arts, and his weapons.

The days were long. Filled from sunrise to sunset of all that could be physically taught. Nights were a little less intense, though the same amount of knowledge was being dealt. It was this routine that they set themselves in. Mentally claiming that Cecil needed to improve her skills for her own safety. Thought in all reality, they were comfortable here. Cecil was an eager pupil, wanting to evaporate any and all weakness from herself, growing faster and faster into the woman she was born to be. Scorpion, for his part, was completely in his element. In all his long life never did he imagine that teaching would be so fulfilling. His whole life had been about fighting, battling enemy clans, protecting his own, and in more recent years, fighting in the Mortal Kombat tournament and plotting his revenge on Quan Chi. Combat was a life he knew, and knew well. He was comfortable, completely swathed in, and well rounded in battle. Teaching it was only another outlet, another element to what he already knew so well. He was surprised at Cecil's eagerness to learn and her adeptness in learning his chosen weapon so rapidly. And also quite impressed with her progress.

It made sense for them to move on, to continue on their way to Liu Kang's hideout. But neither could make the first move to do it. They were treading precarious ground with all that had happened up to that night with Ethen and his gang. To break what peace they had found in these last few weeks felt like travesty to them both.

"I feel like I'm leaving holes in my left side" Cecil said one night as they sat by the fire eating.

"You are. You are stronger with your left so you are overcompensating"

"We can work on that tomorrow" she said, deep in thought. Scorpion's honesty was sometimes refreshing, but it still stung when he inadvertently pointed out a failure of hers. Especially when she was trying so hard.

Scorpion noticed her diminishing mood and tried to change the subject. "How is your training with Liu?" He asked

"Liu is impressed with how far I've come. By the time we reach him ill be further than he anticipated" She stopped to take a drink from her water bag "It's a good thing"

"By the time we arrive you wont need him anymore" Scorpion said.

Cecil blushed deeply, and thanked the fire for hiding the evidence on her cheeks. A compliment from Scorpion? Was it a full moon? In fact, if Cecil thought hard enough she could barely recall the times when they had disagreed over almost everything. What was it they had argued so much about in those first weeks? Things were much easier between them now. Thinking about arriving at The Hideout actually made her feel kinda sad. It felt like Scorpion was all she knew. This whole new life, it was who she was now. And it felt right. Washing clothes, making bread, never felt fulfilling to her. That old life seemed like a dream, a nightmare really. Even after all she had been through since that day Scorpion walked into her camp, she didn't regret any of it. It was just a part of her life now.

Her old life died with General Hamoto...

A thought occurred to Cecil then. "Scorpion" She said softly, fearing her long moment of reverie was somehow rude. He looked up from his wooden plate and set his gaze on her. "What was that weapon you used to kill Hamoto?"

Without responding, Scorpion stood and closed the distance between them. The light of the fire danced across his armor as he knelt down in front of Cecil, who was rendered speechless. He pulled something from the sleeve of his armor and placed it in his palm.

"The Kunai" He said, his deep voice set in a rich timbre. His hand extended to Cecil, showing with pride the large glinting spearhead. She made no move to touch it, but stared in awe as tiny flames danced across the shiny surface. "Taught from father to son. And mastered by few" He held the palm sized kunai up and examined it, as if seeing it for the first time. His eyes were unfocused, his voice a million miles from the small fire they sat beside "There once was a man, a father, a husband, who mastered the kunai with such artistry that all who survived a battle with him would cower in fear. Word spread of this man, this legend, who could sting a man from one hundred feet away with his stinger. They called him The Scorpion..."

Cecil was afraid to move. She wasn't sure if Scorpion was even talking to her anymore, or just reliving a private moment from a different time, a different life. She feared to break the spell he was under. A husband? A father? Could this man in front of her have once been all those things? The callous, stoic, otherworldly man. Many nights she had longed to ask Scorpion about his life. Wanted to know what had happened that shaped him into what he was. Fear was what stopped her at first. But as she traveled with him more it was respect for his privacy that kept her from prying.

Now her curiosity was running rampant, which is why she couldn't stop herself from asking... "What happened to him?"

Scorpion physically jerked at the sound of her voice. And in one swift motion had the kunai tucked back into his armor and was standing before she could even comprehend what had happened. He turned and walked to the tent.

"Scorpion wait!" Cecil stood, and ran to him. Guilt wracked her to the core. Just as Scorpion had started to open up to her she had to ruin things. Never in her life did she with she could take something back.

She reached him quickly and grabbed his shoulder "I'm so-"

Scorpion whirled around so quickly he almost knocked her off balance "He died. Is that what you want to hear?!"

"No, I-"

"He was murdered. Along with his clan...his family"

The night air seemed thick with the silence left behind after those words. And Cecil found herself rooted in place after hearing them. Scorpion turned and walked away, he ducked into their tiny tent without a word, leaving a dejected silence in his wake.

It was so silent that Cecil felt her own heartbeat reverberate loudly in her ears. The blood was pumping so fast in her veins that she thought she might cry just from the shear force of it. Or maybe it was the guilt causing tiny rivulets to roll down her cheeks.

Fearing that her presence would only anger him further, she turned, in a zombie-like state, and walked into the darkness of the woods.

Her mind couldn't register what had just happened. So many things, so many judgements had changed in just a few short words. She didn't know what to feel anymore. Since that first day when she tried to ask him about his mask, the rejection he threw had spurned her from asking anymore questions. Since then Scorpion had seemed to transform into an unfeeling, robot-like, man. He left no room for any other opinions to form. Cecil didn't realize it but it was hard for her to see him any other way. Hearing that he was once a husband and a father...it changed a lot of views for her.

Scorpion answered one question about himself, and it birthed a whole new set of questions.

Like, how was he still alive and walking around if he was killed? Was it a metaphor? How long has he been alive?

All these thought swirled around in her head as her feet subconsciously took her deeper and deeper into the woods. She didn't realize how far she'd gone until she saw something that chilled her to the marrow.

Cecil thought Scorpion did a nice job of disposing of the bodies. But he left behind a lot of blood, and the rope used to tie her up was still halfway wrapped around the tree. It looked like an army had lost their lives in this spot, not three men and almost a woman.

She wasn't as upset as she thought she'd be. The fear was gone. But there was a deep sadness in her at seeing the massacre that had once been her innocence.. She wasn't tormented by the memory of this place. Her thoughts were too far away, too absorbed on one subject. But she did start to cry, much to her shock, when she saw the torn remnants of her clothes on the ground. Her finger absently traced the scar left from the bite mark above her left breast.

He never planned on letting it get this far. From day one he'd established a no lenience rule for asking questions. Now, months later and a whole plethora of indiscernible emotions later, and _he_ was the one breaking his own rules. What had come over him then? It seemed a dam had broken and it was no longer necessary to keep these things from Cecil. In that moment it felt, to the very core of him, wrong that she had not already known his past. What a strange feeling...

Physically shaking his head straight Scorpion almost laughed at the absurdity of it all. What kind of buffoon overreacts like that over one innocent question? How strange this woman was! Coming into his life and making him act like a hormonal teenage boy again. Soon enough he could go back to normal. Soon enough she'd be out of his life. The thought made his throat dry.

Scorpion opened the flap of the tent, ready to apologize for overreacting. How far their comradery had come when he was comfortable murmuring a few 'im sorry's' every now and then. This woman truly had turned his world upside down.

"Cecil" Scorpion called after exiting their shelter. No reply. "Cecil" he tried again. And waited a few tense second. When silence was the only thing to greet him, his senses went on high alert. His Ninjato were drawn and in seconds he was ready.

His eyes, easily able to see at night, scanned the surrounding foliage for footprints. He saw no signs of a struggle and heard nothing of the kind while sitting in the tent. Did she just walk off then? What a fool. Didn't she know how many people were out for her pretty little head?

Sighing, Scorpion followed her footprints into the woods.

He knew where it led and it angered him that she would choose this spot to run to. Her morbid curiosity would cost her in the long run. He sighed, thinking of how long it took for her to stop crying in her sleep. This night would certainly set her back.

He came upon her leaning against a tree. Her back was to him but he knew she knew he was there. She was crying, not heavily, but enough to pull at his heartstrings. She looked dejected, worn. And suddenly he couldn't remember what had him so angry at her. Her hair was down, on all of it's silky glory, falling in waves down her back. Her bare feet were dirty. He had never seen her look lovelier. And he had thought her lovely more times than he cared to admit. Suddenly he didn't want to see her sad anymore. He had enough of her half hearted smiles, obviously a show for his benefit alone. He wanted to take her sadness for his own. Surely one so young and beautiful shouldn't have to carry such weight.

If Cecil was surprised to hear Scorpions footsteps approach her, she was completely baffled when she felt his arms wrap around her from behind. Her tears suddenly fell with great vehemence on account of such tender action. His arms were warm against her skin, chilled from the night air. She could feel his heart beating against her back, and just like that she felt as though everything would be alright. If she could stay here, in the circle of his arms. Safe. Warm. Then maybe she could forget all the bad things.

"His name was Hanzo Hasashi" He said to her "...and he is me" It was a declaration of sorts; That he was not angry. That he wanted her to know about himself. That he loved her.


	16. Chapter 16

Cecil woke in the night feeling incredibly hot. Which was an odd thing in winter. She kicked the blankets off of herself and relished in the cold night air. It was but a few seconds later that her toes were frozen again, so she sat up to cover them again, when Scorpion's hand slid off of her arm...

For a second she thought she had woken him up, but a few tense seconds later and he was still breathing deeply. Odd.

The realization hit her like bag of rocks. The burn on her arm, never freezing to death in the unforgiving landscape of winter: Scorpion must have been keeping her warm at night. In the darkness of the tent, in the cold air, Cecil began to weep.

How many times over did she owe this man her life? Her sanity? And now, it seemed, for things she wasn't even aware of. A warm rush of gratitude swelled inside of her when she remembered how he had embraced her earlier that night. Comforting her with mere words and trusting her enough to tell her his name. He carried her all the way back to the tent. The warmth of his body and strong grip lulling her into dreamless sleep. She could have walked, she realized. Yet she made no protest when he lifted her into his arms. Why? Looking down at him in the darkness her answer came without reservation. Because it felt good. It felt good to be protected and cared for by a strong, caring man. She wanted to shake him awake and thank him a million times over. But settled instead for laying down, facing him. From the faint light of the moon she could just make out the side of his face as he slept.

What did he look like under the mask? Was he covered in scars? From the small portion of his mask that allowed for skin to show, Cecil knew that Scorpion was Asian. The shape of his eyes told her as much. What color was his hair? Was he handsome? Ugly?

Feeling brave, Cecil whispered into the darkness "Scorpion" she didn't know if his eyes opened or not. The silence engulfed the tiny space they shared. "Im cold" she said.

More silence greeted her, humbling her in a wave of embarrassment. She suddenly felt very tiny and dumb for assuming he might warm her again. He probably didn't even hear her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the blankets shuffling and a large, warm, hand landing on her shoulder. Warmth radiated through her whole body. From her arm to the very tips of her toes. How did he do that?

Cecil smiled in the darkness.

"Thank you" She whispered, and closed her eyes. He never answered her. He was caught.


	17. Chapter 17

The next morning came with a change in the air. The travelers woke feeling tense and uncomfortable. A sign. Nothing discernible on the outside had changed, even as Scorpion and Cecil went about their morning routine. But the air crackled with the anticipation of violence, a promise for disruption in the life they had made here, even for just a few short weeks. Without communicating their concerns, for at this point there was too much of a coherence for such a need, they began packing their belongings, tent, and dousing the fire that burned almost constantly from the night Cecil was attacked until now. It felt strange and almost sad to Cecil to be moving on again, for so much had happened in this small clearing beside the large boulders and the stream. But even feeling nostalgic, she couldn't hide the fact that she too felt some wrongness in the air. Something had happened. A change in favor of the enemy. And a promise for violence wafted in the air around them as they set out on the road again.

Traveling seemed a tad easier now, largely in part of her new training. Her muscles were larger, her reflexes sharper, and her sense of self worth had grown. Confidence, it seemed, made her feel safer. To know that she had improved enough to defend herself better.

Scorpion was on high he usually stormed, making it hard for Cecil to keep up with him, today he crept. Each step seeming to take a lot of thought and precariously done. He scanned the area, his head in constant movement, left to right, up and back. Cecil trusted his instincts and kept her mouth shut for fear of bothering him, but also to hear for impending danger.

The landscape was changing rapidly. It seemed their little clearing was the last semi-green area left as they approached the mountains. The ground beneath their feet was harder, frozen solid with permafrost. The foliage too seemed just as offended with the frozen ground, for even their tough roots couldn't dig deep enough to provide a foundation for their survival. A few sad looking trees were almost all that inhabited the area. Some bushes seemed to have adapted to the colder climate, even covered in frost Cecil could see that they were indeed still alive under the silver blanket as she knelt down to inspect the plant for it's use in food or medicine. She didn't know what this plant was called so she gathered a few frozen stalks and stuffed them in her bag. Perhaps she'd have time to ask someone about it later.

The air about them was also as unforgiving as the world around them. Emerging from their tent in the morning burned her lungs and took several hours to get used to. It was strange also to breath deeply and smell nothing but frost in the air. It was metallic somehow, but otherwise fairly nondescript.

By the time the sun began to set the air was below freezing. Cecil shivered and hugged herself tightly, grateful at least that the cold was the only imminent danger to meet them. She wondered how Scorpion was faring in the cold and remembered that his skin was forever hot to the touch, and blushed slightly remembering how his inner fire was what was keeping her alive in these below freezing nights. Did Raiden know Scorpion's power would be needed for this escapade, or was it just a happy coincidence that the dark man was able to provide such a service? She didn't know, or even care at the moment. All she could think about was getting warm.

"It's getting dark..." She said, barely above a whisper. Even though he was several feet ahead of her, she knew he heard her. His pace slowed slightly, allowing her to match his own.

"I am aware" He said, eyes scanning the area still "I have been looking for a suitable spot to make camp. This area is too open. It makes me anxious"

"Me too...but.."

Scoprion took a sidelong glance at Cecil noting the color of her lips and the strength with which she hugged herself.

"You're cold" He stated, mentally berating himself for not noticing. It was his job to keep her safe, and he had been concentrating so hard on any tangible danger that he completely missed the danger that was all around them. The frigid mountain air.

"A little. But ill be fine as soon as we make camp" She tried for casualness but failed. Her tell was the way her teeth chattered between words.

Scorpion sighed "Give me your hand" he said, and taking off his glove he laced his fingers with hers, holding it between them and closed his eyes to concentrate.

Cecil wondered why in the world Scorpion would want to hold hands with her, until she felt the warmth spread throughout her body and almost shivered with the coziness that overwhelmed her body. What a nice feeling.

"Hm, I wonder how Liu, or anyone else for that matter, has ever passed through these mountains without their own personal Ninja-heater" She laughed. Scorpion said nothing, just lowered their hands and continued walking. If possible, he seemed more tense than before.

Cecil thought about what Raiden would think should he teleport here and find them strolling through the mountainside hand in hand. She almost laughed out loud again but was jolted from her reverie when Scorpion suddenly halted to a stop.

"What's wrong?" She whispered. He said nothing, but seemed to be concentrating on an area of foliage a couple hundred yards ahead of them. "Is someone there?"

"Our friend is back" He said, not bothering to lower his voice. A bad sign, she knew. They were spotted, no use to try and hide. He released her hand and the effect was immediate. It was like stepping out of a sauna, into the snow. Cecil shivered again, though this time it wasn't from the cold.

"Who?" She asked, though she guessed. To her horror Scorpion said nothing but merely took three steps backwards and put a hand up to halt her.

In an instant the air around him rose several degrees and became warped with the warmth that was quickly escaping his body. Cecil stifled a scream when his boots became engulfed in flames that quickly rose up the length of his body, taking him with it when it left and leaving her alone in the instant that it took her hand to fly to her mouth, in shock. The smell of smoke assaulted her, but she could see none.

"Scorpion!" She said, spinning around and feeling foolish when he was no where to be found. Her heart racing, she scanned the area, sure he had a reason for leaving her here but not knowing what she should do. "Scorpion!" She screamed.

"He'ssss not here" a voice said from somewhere behind her. She spun at the sound and found herself facing Reptile. He was shorter than she remembered. Or maybe it was the way he crouched, low to the ground, seemingly ready to spring at any moment. Her nostrils filled with the stench of rotten fish and something so earthen, it was hard to put into words. His reptilian eyes blinked sideways at her and she involuntarily took a step back.

"I remember you..." She spat "...came back for seconds then?" Her words came out braver than she felt.

Slitted eyes narrowed "Thisss time the dark one issssn't here to protect you. And I will have my fill of man-flessshh"

A burst of flames erupted behind him "Wrong" Scorpion said, grabbing the sword from his back in the split second it took for Reptiles eyes to widen in shock. The half man half reptile spun quickly bringing a clawed hand up to defend himself, but he was too slow. Scorpion brought his sword down with lighting fast speed on a scaled bicep. The severed arm falling to the ground and twitching a few times before falling limp.

Reptile wailed loudly, a sound that made Cecil want to shrink in on herself, a half human scream, a bestial cry. His other hand grabbed at the nub that the fires of Hell itself had cauterized, no blood, only pain.

Scorpion, seeing an opening, kicked hard at the beast's stomach sending him flying backwards only to teleport, wreathed in flames, right before the writhing green creature. Reptile stared up in horror at the firey man before him. His wound tingled and he knew it was only a matter of time before the limb grew back, he needed to bide his time until then. A clawed foot struck out at Scorpion's legs, which was dodged easily enough, but it gave Reptile the time he needed to jump to his feet and enter battle stance.

Cecil watched in awe as the two battled. It was amazing to watch. Scorpion moved with all the fluid grace of a skilled artist. It was almost like a dance, he knew the steps and executed them accordingly, but it was beautiful to watch then she would have ever guessed. So raptured was she that she almost didn't see a blur of pink from atop a large boulder. Almost.

A beautiful woman crouched there, clad in rags of pink and gold. Her large breasts almost fully exposed to the cold air and yet the bottom half of her face was covered. Odd.

Cecil was about to call out to her, to tell her that danger was present, that she should run. But the beautiful woman suddenly laughed a maniacal laugh that made the hairs on Cecil's neck stand up. The woman stood, removed the bottom of her mask and barred a set of barbaric, monster-like teeth. It seemed she was smiling at Cecil, delighted by the young woman's sudden shock.

Cecil called to Scorpion, but he was fighting his own fight. And the stark realization came to her that she was on her own this time. No more relying on the other man to save her.

She entered battle stance and awaited the woman to do the same. She complied, slinking down the boulder like a gollum.

When at last the woman approached she was rasping out curses in a foreign tongue and made a beeline for Cecil, her mouth spreading in a smile twice the normal size. The way she moved, it was seductive in nature. Her hips seemed forever to move in the lure of a figure eight, surely conscious of the effect her body had on men, if not her face.

Cecil was not deterred, and for once made the first move. A kick, her stronger limbs. The dark woman dodged easily and delivered her own blows in the form of clawed hands coming down at her. A savage but effective form of the arts. Cecil blocked and felt five stings on her forearm, ignored it, slid back and began again. So was the dance of battle.

Scorpion was having trouble keeping tabs on Cecil's battle while fighting his own. His mind screamed at him to concentrate! But his eyes couldn't stop shifting to the woman he had grown to care about, the woman who had revived a dead heart. He took several blows to the stomach while watching Cecil, amazed, even through the pain, at her far she had come. She was holding her own. And against Mileena of all people! Mileena was a formidable opponent, perhaps even more so than Reptile. The half Tarkatan was fierce, had no qualms about fighting dirty, and using whatever was in her power to win. She was brutal, savage, and fighting the woman that he had been charged to protect. He needed to end this.

Scorpion feigned right, using the distraction to bring an armored elbow down on the back of Reptile's neck. The lizard fell to the floor, dazed, and willed his missing limb to grow back faster, already some sharp fingers were pushing out of the wound where it had been severed.

Scorpion grabbed the back of his neck "If I had time I would torture you for information. But it seems today is your lucky day. Send Quan Chi my regards" His voice was a chilled monotone of indifference, he had no qualms about ending this life.

The reptilian creatures slited eyes widened in horror as the demonic man reached his large hands into his mouth. His skull cracked with pain and all went black as Scorpion split the scaled head in two through the mouth. A forked tongue danced around in the cold air, still attached to the green creatures neck.

Scorpion wasted no time running to Cecil's aid, though when he arrived, it seemed as though he wasn't needed.

Cecil certainly had the upper hand, which both elated and frightened the dark specter. Watching her fight was mesmerizing. Like water she moved, fluid as she flowed from one move to the next, and striking out with precision that came from years of training she did not possess. She reminded Scorpion of Liu Kang and could see the monk's influence on her, but was also surprised to see some moves of his own as she clasped her hands together, bringing them down on Mileena's head. Her moves were largely Kang's though, he would know, he'd fought him before.

Then Cecil did something that shocked him. She sent a kick flying at Mileena's head, it connected with a loud clap, and with the momentum of the swing took the Tarkatan woman's head with it to the ground. Once there Cecil brought both her feet down to crush the head between them, and in an instant jerked them in opposite directions. A sickening pop echoed loudly off of the boulders, a sound to signal the end of the battle they both fought.

Cecil's labored breathing was what snapped Scorpion from where he was rooted to the ground.

"Are you hurt?" He asked. She only shook her head, still staring down at the body beneath her. And she wasn't, only a few scratch marks on her arm. Unbelievable. Scorpion had fared worse with multiple scrapes, a cut on his head and even a bite mark that would need washing; The raptor's bite was crawling with disease. "Let us dispose of these bodies then"

Cecil nodded absently, walking past Scorpion in a zombie-like state. He reached for her as she passed but she pushed his hand away.

"Don't touch me. I'm not cold right now" She said, and Scorpion withdrew his hand sharply. He wasn't offering his warmth, he was offering his comfort. A first kill always weighed heavily on the mind and it seemed, as special a woman as Cecil was, she was no exception. Maybe he would tell her later about Mileena, about what an awful enemy she was, a creature made not born. Perhaps that would ease her mind about the kill.

Cecil dragged her feet as they gathered up the bodies and prepared to burn. Scorpion wracked his brain for ways to approach the subject of first kill. But it seemed he didn't need to after all. When they returned to the bodies after collecting wood, Mileena's was gone.

Cecil's steps became a little lighter after that.


	18. Chapter 18

A familiar darkness engulfed her. It felt like being thrown into a pool of water, rising to the surface to take a deep breath and finding you've landed upside down in an inky darkness. Her feet struggled to find purchase on the non-existent ground, but she knew the drill: "Imagine a floor and there will be one". The black nothingness suddenly shifted, warping until Cecil found herself back in the clearing beside the large boulders, nestled next to a serene lake. A voice from behind her approached.

"Were back in this place are we? I thought you had moved on"

Cecil turned and with a tired smile spoke "I like it here"

"So it seems" He said, smirking "But you have moved on?"

"Yes. We left this place days ago" She said, though she had the feeling he wasn't speaking of the location. "It wan't all that bad Liu. I was hurt, but it didn't go farther than that. Thanks to Scorpion"

Liu clasped his hands behind his back, taking a seemingly leisurely stroll around Cecil. He was shirtless, always, clad in black pants and barefoot. "Hmm. Alright then, if your mind is sound then we can talk about something else. I heard you had an encounter"

"Reptile ambushed us, or tried to, near the foot of The Winding Road. Scorpion dispatched him quickly enough but he had a partner. A vicious looking woman with the ugliest mouth I've ever seen. She looked normal until her mask fell away. Underneath..." Cecil visibly shuddered "...underneath she was a monster"

Liu halted "...Mileena. Shao Khans own homemade daughter. An abomination, a cross breed of human and Tarkatan. A creature like that should have never been allowed to be created. But created she was and has taken the lives of many on our side. She is a formidable opponent. How was Scorpion able to dispatch her?"

This time is was Cecil's turn to smirk "He didn't"

"Really?" Liu said, gracing her with the full force of his smile "So you think you're a full fledged warrior now do you?" He laughed "Care to show me?"

Cecil matched his excitement, her smile a mirror to the mirth that emanated from him "Bring it on"

Liu made the first move, he always did. Striking for her face with a balled fist and bouncing lightly back onto the balls of his feet. He bounced there for several more seconds after she dodged his attack, but he left no openings and struck a fist into her side.

Cecil grunted in pain, sliding back, and out of reach before she feigned left. When Liu dodged she delivered a fast kick to his side. He barely managed to block, her shin connecting hard with his forearm with the sound of skin smacking against skin.

"Very good" He praised, but didn't let up his assault. Lighting fast fists flew at her with rapid speed, always returning to cover the face of their master. Liu was the epitome of a martial artist. Perfection in the form of a small man who's only thought is to protect. He had no flaws when it came to battle, no "hang ups". He was focused, alert, and deadly. The perfect combo.

Cecil, delivering a roundhouse kick, thought how fortunate she was to have such a Master. She had two great Masters now. Both unique in their fighting styles. Both teaching her techniques from opposite sides of the spectrum. Liu taught from the heart, found peace in the dance that was battle, fighting with a purpose that was greater than his own, whereas Hanzo Hasashi, who had been given a similar foundation of the art, had been warped by cruelty and consumed by his need for revenge. For him battle became about the unattainable goal. Anger fueled him, the proverbial ticking time bomb. He fought for his own selfish purpose, each connecting fist with a name behind them. A wife. A son. A clan.

Cecil took a kick in the shoulder as she pondered these two men, who had quickly become the figure heads for her new life. She delivered two kicks of her own, the second grazing Liu in the jaw as her thoughts took her along a different path. She thought of Scopion, or Hanzo, as he had told her, and wondered how he came to be the man he was today. She didn't know his past but she knew that whatever had happened it had led him to her and she wouln't be alive if it wasn't for him...

"Focus!" Liu said to her.

...It wasn't just that he rescued her from her would-be rapists. What about Hamoto? Where would she be now if his plans for her as a fifth wife had come to fruition? What about Reptile? And the deadly cold? Cecil stole a glance down at her right arm, just below the shoulder, shocked to see a red mark marring her skin. It was enough of a distraction for Liu to take advantage of. He spun in the air, swung his muscular leg in a wide arch and brought it down on the side of her head. She saw white as an explosion of real pain reverberated in her skull. She collapsed on the ground, blood dripping from her eye, her nose. It landed in the dirt which quickly dissolved into the inky blackness that marked the start of all her dreams with Liu, before she chose a landscape.

"Where is your mind?" He said, crouching down beside her. She looked up, her heart breaking to see disappointment lining every inch of his face. He sighed and then stood. It was not lost on her that he did not offer a hand to help her. "Stand up"

"Im...sorry" She said, rising shakily to her feet. Stars danced in her vision but she ignored them with the ease of long practice. She glanced at her arm again, marveling at the red mark that by all rights should not have shown up in her dream scape. "Imagine a floor and there will be one"

Liu followed here eyes to the mark on her arm and frowned. "There is much at stake here. We cannot afford distractions"

Cecil's eyes found the floor, where she felt they ought to be "Im sorry Liu...I just-"

"Fix this" He demanded "I can't properly train you when all you are thinking about is _him_" And with that he grabbed Cecil by the shoulders, leaned his head back and slammed it full force into her face. Pain shot through her nose as blackness overtook her. She felt herself falling, a feeling she could never quite get used to in this dreamland, and landed on the hard unforgiving ground on her back.

Cecil's eyes shot open, a cry escaping her lips. She shot up from her bed inside a tiny tent, the cold air assaulting her skin. Warmth and pain spread throughout her face and she was surprised to find blood flowing from her nose when she reached a tentative hand to her face.

Scorpion was awake within milliseconds of her crude landing back into reality. He reached a hand out in the darkness.

"Cecil..." The deep timbre of his voice cut through the still night, making Cecil jump.

"Im fine" She said into the darkness, covering her nose with her hand, trying in vein to catch the blood before it spilled all over their only blankets.

Scorpion thought she sounded nasally. Something was wrong. He started a small flame in the center of his palm and held it there, waiting for his, and her, eyes to adjust. He did not expect to see Cecil sitting with her face smashed in, eyes wide in shock.

"What happened?!" He all but screamed, the demonic quality to his voice rising along with the strength of his flame. In the close, still air of the tent the smell of her blood was overwhelming.

"It was..." Cecil looked down at her hands, covered with the warm red liquid that signified her shame. She remembered Liu's face, staring down at her with worst kind of disappointment in his eyes. Tears came to her own. "...nothing" she said quietly and crawled out of the tent.

Her eyes scanned their camp for her satchel. She rummaged through it's petty contents until she found an old cloth and began to wipe furiously at her face, desperate to remove traces of her embarrassment.

"Please explain to me what in OutWorld is going on" Scorpion said, approaching her back. Was she crying? Or shivering in the cold? He knelt to rekindle the fire, using his own internal flame to do so. The camp was alight within seconds, creating a circle of light that cast everything orange.

Finally she stood, and turned to face him "I shamed him" she said, her lip quivering.

"Who?"

"Liu...Liu Kang. He is angry with me for...for getting distracted during training"

"He...did this to you? I thought your dream injuries do not fabricate themselves into the real world"

"I thought so too...but...I guess he was really angry. I feel..." She could hardly finish the sentence, burying her face in her hands she began to cry.

Scorpion for his part was having a difficult time keeping his anger in check. Flames threatened to rise up out of him at the fury he felt. Did Liu Kang think this would help her? Why, for the love of hell's fire, was he on this fools run then? Taking injury and escaping death just to protect this woman from harm, and with one lapse in judgment Liu feels it his right to hurt her? It was enough to make his blood boil. If only the monk knew of how much she has suffered so on this journey. How much blood she had already shed.

"It was my fault" She whispered, breaking Scorpion out of his morbid thoughts. "I wasn't focusing on the fight. I...was distracted"

"There is no justification" He said

"No. Liu is right. I deserved it. He said I need to fix the problem" She said suddenly blushing.

"What problem?" Scorpion asked, curious for once at what exactly what went on in these strange dreamlike training sessions.

"It's nothing I can't handle on my own" She said, forcing a smile onto her blood smeared face. She stood and walked to him, stopped inches from his face and tilted her face upwards "So what's the verdict? Am I gonna live?"

He looked ready to bolt. Closeness was not something he'd had to deal with for many millenia. A part of him, some inner demon, told him to walk away. But another part, a part much closer to the surface and newly awoken whispered things about her long silky hair. Her skin. Her lips...

Without his permission, Scorpion's hand rose, fingers pushing back strands of chocolate hair. Cecil shivered as those fingers trailed the lines of her cheek and came to rest on her chin, slowly lifting. He took several long seconds inspecting her face. So long in fact that she wondered if Liu had done some real damage, but soon after her thoughts, Scorpion's hand lowered and he spoke in a choked voice.

"Just a bloody nose. You may have some bruising come tomorrow"

Cecil felt the loss of his hand greatly, and wondered at it "I wonder how many more times I'm going to get maimed before we reach our destination" She pondered aloud.

"None, if I have it my way" He said, his face a mask of perfect indifference. Cecil just smiled, afraid to speak for fear of spoiling the moment. Scorpion didn't often say nice things to her.

They stood there for several long second, caught between the balance of a comfortable pause and the crackling tension of unknown longing. To Cecil it seemed a beautiful moment, they certainly had come a long way. Scorpion seemed a whole other person now, the antithesis to the man who walked into her camp demanding her to follow. She felt such comfort in his presence, a feat she'd thought impossible only a few weeks ago. Would he leave her when they arrived at Liu's hideout? She would miss him if he did. A great sadness overwhelmed her then. Suddenly she didn't want this journey to end. It was familiar now, as dangerous as it was, and she had grown so much in this short amount of time. She didn't want the future to come, with all of it's unknowns and unanswered questions. Again she would be thrown into a new life, with people she's never met, and expected to perform.

She felt like a petulant child, harboring thoughts of running away to live in the forest forever with Scorpion at her back, to protect her always. She knew he'd never do it. But the way he was looking at her made her hope.

He must have seen her expression change for his eyebrows drew together.

"Hanzo..." She whispered. His milky eyes widened in surprise. Whether it was the fact that she used his name or whether it was the _way_ she said it, she didn't know. But she liked the reaction is caused, liked the way his name fell from her tongue with such ease. His true name, it tasted good on her tongue, like sweet honey, and made her salivate for more.

Scorpion broke eye contact, turning away from her and crossing his arms, no doubt a habit, an outward sign of an inward blockade. "Cecil..." He said, voice as soft as she'd ever heard it "...I am not that man anymore. Millenia have passed since that name has held meaning for me..." His arms fell and he turned to face her, eyes alight with emotion that mingled with the words he spoke "...and in those years blood and turmoil have all but erased the memory that tied me to it. Even now it pains me to hear it."

Then the wind blew, bringing with it the chill of the mountain air. Cecil shivered.

"But..." He continued, taking her hand in his and sending a burst of warmth through her "..If I were to crave it from the lips of anyone..." A pause, and she felt as though her heart might burst "...it would be you"

It was a declaration of sorts, and Cecil was shocked to find that her heart had been longing for it.

Scorpion led her to the fire and sat them down close to it, eager to provide more warmth for the girl, but also to still his rapid heart. Flames were familiar, and as they sat, so close together, by the dancing warmth, he found comfort in watching the fiery tongues lick their way from one piece of wood to another. He needed it. After a speech like _that._

Cecil leaned into him, eager for the warmth and comfort and found for once that she didn't really know what to say. They sat that way for what seemed like hours, content to merely exist, happy to stare into the fire and live in this moment alone. Without the threat of enemies or their eventual split looming above their heads. Here and now they could be just that. Here together.

When Cecil found at last the courage to speak it seemed not to interrupt the quiet gentleness of the moment. Instead adding to it, for it seemed in all that time Scorpion was waiting for her to speak, giving her the time to find the voice that his declaration had stolen.

"I'm sorry to cause you pain. I wont say your name again. But I do crave it. I like to hear it in my voice. I want to scream it and whisper it at the same time. I want to tear that damn mask from your face and know the shape of your lips when you say _my_ name. I want you to say it like you'll never leave. Like we'll stay here in the woods forever and not take one more step into the mountains"

"We can't do that" He said, voice strangled.

"We could. But I know why you wont" She said, finally leaning off of him. He raised an eyebrow at her, questioning her without words. "Because..." she continued "...you're getting something out of this aren't you? Some sort of payment. I doubt it's money, you have no need for that. Something more important..." She trailed off, hoping he'd continue where she left off. She was disappointed, as always, at his lack of participation.

"Yes. I asked a gift from the gods for transferring you safely into the arms of Liu Kang. A gift I thought weighed more than your life. Now I know it doesn't and I would still deliver you should my request be too large for them to fulfill"

Curiosity overwhelmed her. So many mysteries to this man, it was hard to wrap her head around. "But i'm guessing you wont tell me?" She asked. Reluctantly he shook his head "Not today?" She asked.

"Not today" He said.

Cecil's visibly pouted. If not today, then when? How much time did they have left? Already they seemed far into the mountains. Would she ever get to know? Did she even have the right?

She pursed her lips and faced Scorpion, a sudden onslaught of bravery overcame her from the thought of the battle with time they fought.

"I wonder..." She said, moving close to Scorpion's face. He leaned back as far as his balance would allow "Would you stop me?" she said, placing her hands on his armored knees and moving in closer, inching her way into his personal space. He fell back onto his behind, hands splayed out behind him, keeping him up. The scene would have looked comical if not for the way he looked so visibly confused. Still Cecil moved in, closer and closer, smirking despite the way her heart raced violently in her chest. Surely he could feel it. Her face throbbed with pain from the cold air on her swollen nose but she continued.

Scorpion wondered if she planned on kissing him and then almost laughed at the concept of her lips touching the rough and worn hardness of his mask. Wait, his mask...

Cecil was now only a scant few inches from Scorpions face, loving the way his breath hitched faster and faster the closer she got. Her hand rose slowly to the side of his face, hovering, balancing on the invisible line of his privacy. He stared at that hand debating whether or not to stop her. Wanting, almost as much as she, to see the face beneath the mask. It had been so many years since he himself had seen it. Would he be a monster underneath?

Cecil could sense his turbulence and paused, eyes asking if she could be allowed this gift. His determination wavered for a moment, but the set of his eyes expressed his resolve.

"Not today" she sighed, and he nodded.

He could see her disappointment and wondered, why is the world would she want to see his face. His mind was not able to dabble long on the thought however when he heard a sound that made his skin crawl.

He grabbed Cecil by the wrists and gently helped her to her feet. "Cecil, we have company"


	19. Chapter 19

Cecil knew her companion well enough to know that she need not fear of the approaching strangers. His body language told her as much. Still, looking at the way his armored shoulders suddenly went rigid and how quickly his hands fell away from hers gave her pause.

"Scorpion, who is it?" She asked, wondering who else would be wandering in the frigid air of the mountains in the middle of the night. Either friend or foe, she thought, and came to the stark reality that she wouldn't even know the difference. She was completely dependent on Scorpion's knowledge and instinct. The thought didn't sit well with her. "Are they friends? Or...not friends?"

She could hear the tension in his voice "Neither. Allies maybe but definitely not friends"

Curiosity gave her courage, and she began to busy herself with boiling water for tea. If they were going to have visitors, friend or no, she might as well be cordial. It had been too long since she'd seen another person. A friendly person at least, one who wasn't interested in bashing in her face or other such devices.

The water had just begun to bubble when she heard footsteps approach. Scorpion gave no indication that he heard, merely crossed his arms over his chest and gave the darkness a hard stare. Cecil hid a smile, if he wanted to look intimidating he really didn't have to try so hard. He was already terrifying to most people.

"...just saying, who else would be in this neck of the woods? It has to be them. Look! There's even a cozy fire"

"You are an idiot and a fool Johnny. You think Shao Khan doesn't know how to rub together some twigs to start a fire?"

"If you really think it's one of Kahn's men then why are we going over there?"

"Because" She said, stepping into the orange circle of firelight "I sensed this one's hatred and inner fire. Hello Scorpion"

"Kitana" Scorpion said, nodding a greeting.

"Oh..." Johnny said, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "Hey there Scorpio! Glad to see you're still on our side"

"What news?" Scorpion said, pointedly ignoring the other man.

Johnny was not deterred "What? Can't two lovers take a romantic stroll through the mountains in the middle of the night?" He slung a muscular arm around Kitana who shrugged it off in disgust.

"As if I would taint the blood of my people in a meaningless tryst with someone from Earthrealm" She said.

Johnny grabbed his chest and dramatically stumbled backwards "Oh! Right where it hurts!"

Cecil laughed, almost forgetting what it felt like to do so. Johnny seemed to notice her for the first time and she immediately regretted drawing attention to herself.

"Well hi there" leaping easily over a large boulder, Johnny extended a hand toward Cecil "I'm Johnny Cage" He said, winking.

Cecil felt herself warming to this man's easy smile. Maybe it was her desperation for human interaction, but she didn't think so. Why had Scorpion said they were not friends?

"I'm Cecil" She said, wiping her hand on her pants before giving his a hearty shake, oddly wanting to prove her strength in this one act. To her chagrin he seemed not to notice the strength with which her hand gripped his, instead he pulled his away and began to rub his hands together.

"Yikes! You're freezing woman! Ya know, I can show you a few ways to warm up if you'd just follow me t-"

"What. News." Scorpion spat out looking both horrified and agitated.

A frown made it's way to Kitana's beautiful face. Cecil merely looked confused.

The Edenian princess cleared her throat, throwing Johnny a pointed look before speaking "Liu sent us to warn you. The route has changed. The bots were sent to ambush you. A bold move for Kahn, he must be getting worried. Either way we're to take you another route"

Scorpion's arms fell from their position across his chest "Sektor and Cyrax? Kahn must be worried indeed. Hm"

"What are you thinking bug man?" Johnny said, removing his jacket and placing it over Cecil's shoulders. The action was not lost on Scorpion who glared at him with a cold fury.

"Only that if Kahn is sending some of his best at us this far into the mountain he must feel confident that he know's where The Hideout is"

"He doesn't" Kitana said, sounding offended "He can't.."

"You don't sound convinced"

Kitana scowled at him "He is just worried. He knows you two are close and he doesn't want Liu to unlock Cecil's true power. You have already proven you can take Reptile and my sisters. He wont send them after you again. He is upping his game"

Cecil seemed to find her voice then "You are Mileena's sister?"

"If you want to call it that" Kitana said, turning to face Cecil for the first time. The younger woman could definitely see the similarity, though there was no manic fury in Kitana's eyes. Her smile was definitely better too.

"We didn't kill her you know. Just wounded her" Cecil said.

"It make's no difference to me" Kitana said, walking to the fire to warm her hands, obviously trying to look nonchalant about the topic, though she looked anything but "I once believed there was some good in my sister. It was the foolish dreams of a young girl. I know better now"

Cecil stayed quiet, not knowing what to say. She'd never had a sister before, especially not one who turned evil. But despite the dark turn in the conversation she was glad for the company of other people. Already there camp seemed more alive. And she was learning so much about their quest already! Which reminded her of something Kitana had said. "Did you say Liu would unlock my true power? What does that mean?" She asked.

Johnny and Kitana shared a look "It's nothing you have to worry about tonight" Kitana said offering the younger girl a warm smile for the first time "You just have to concentrate on getting to The Hideout in one piece and then Liu can tell you more"

Cecil was anything but mollified but kept her tongue. She didn't want to make a rude impression on these people. She felt like asking how long they could stay but not wanting to sound desperate, she busied herself with seeping the tea instead. She shot subtle glances at her new companions as they continued talking about their quest. Her quest.

Kitana, she found, was possibly the most beautiful woman she had ever met. Her raven hair was so soft that she harbored thoughts of running her fingers through it, just to see if it felt as soft as it looked. The blue outfit she wore seemed to match her eyes to a phenomenal degree, it would be a sin to allow this woman to wear another color. She was tall and buxom, but had lines of muscle to prove the strength that lie underneath. She exuded confidence with every step and it didn't surprise Cecil one bit to learn that she was royalty. Only a princess could be so lovely.

Cecil looked down at her own drab and stained traveling clothes and frowned, reminding herself not to stand too close to Kitana for fear of the inevitable comparison.

Johnny Cage was staring at her and she smiled timidly back. She wondered if all men from Earthrealm were so forthcoming. He seemed an easygoing kind of person, funny, charming and definitely strong. But there was something about him that sparked the cautious part of her brain. Was he loyal? Yes. Was he faithful? Definitely not. Still it was nice to think they might become friends. It had been so long.

When the tea was done she handed a cup to Kitana and Johnny and went to stand beside Scorpion as they talked of strategy and routes. Boring stuff.

"How many Tarkatan do they have on their side now?" Scorpion was saying.

"Too many" Kitana replied "Each one uglier than the last. We must have taken down a dozen when the fist hideout was raided, and yet they still kept coming...They've tamed Kintaro too. Lured him into thinking their cause was the worthy one. It's a shame, he would have been a powerful ally"

Scorpion spared a glance at Cecil, taking notice of her curiosity but also the way her eyes began to dull "We still have a few hours before sunrise. We should sleep. I will take first watch" Cecil looked at him gratefully, stifling a yawn with the back of her hand.

Kitana and Johnny set to work on raising their tents "Cecil, I have room in my tent. You're more than welcome to share" The movie star said, wagging his eyebrows at the younger woman.

"No thanks" Cecil said "Your tent is too girly for me" she giggled, and quickly ducked into her and Scorpion's tent.

Johhny looked confused for a moment, before he looked down and saw the bright pink tent he was holding. "What the? Awe man! I knew Sonya was hiding something-"

"Sweet dreams princess" Kitana laughed.

"Kitana trade with me" He said, gazing longingly at Kitana's own blue tent.

"Not on your life"

Cecil smiled within the confines of her tent, overjoyed to have visitors. Scorpion was as fine a traveling companion as they came. He was efficient, complained very little and provided no small amount of security. But he never laughed. A sound Cecil hadn't known she missed until today.

Shivering she pulled her blanket up to her chin. After twenty minutes she rolled over and grabbed Scorpion's as well. Why not? she thought, he never uses it anyhow. When both blankets failed to warm her, Cecil sighed and went to go find a better source of warmth. She found him, sitting against a tree, arms crossed and eyes broody.

"Can't you keep watch from inside the tent?" she said, feigning anger as she threw herself beside him. She tried to discreetly lean her arm against his.

"No. The greater our party the higher chance of an ambush"

"Always the warrior" she said, making to stand up. A large hand enclosing around her wrist halted her. Scorpion's heavy arm was slung across her shoulder and suddenly she was warm. She leaned into him gratefully, very suddenly aware of how exhausted she was.

"I wish they would tell me more" She whispered, hoping not to wake the others, she wasn't used to keeping her voice down.

"Liu seems to think it better this way"

At the mention of his name, Cecil remembered the disappointed look on her master's face "I'm almost afraid to go to sleep. I'm sure he's still angry with me" She said, absently touching her swollen nose "I feel so stupid for letting myself get distracted. I feel like I've come so far in my training. One of the first things he taught me was to free the mind of all thought, focus on the battle and nothing else" She sighed softly into the cold night, sadness and anger radiating out of every line of her body. She thought she felt Scorpion's arm tighten imperceptively around her but she could have just as easily imagined it.

"You have been through a great ordeal recently. He can't fault your lack of focus" He said, implying her almost rape without actually drawing attention to it. It didn't work.

"That is not what clouded my mind. Ethen's gang may have beaten my face, but his actions only fueled my fire. I was too weak, weak enough that I almost died. I will not let it happen again"

Scorpion looked down at the small woman curled against his side, proud at once for the underlying strength she possessed. And ashamed to admit that he never saw it coming from her. When he fist saw her he thought Raiden and the gods to be crazy. What could they have seen in her? She looked like any of the other ordinary townsfolk. But that impression didn't last long. Immediately she proved herself to be more than she seemed. He'd never met anyone who took to the arts as fast as she, even with being trained by one of the Mortal Kombat winners. It must be the something "special" Raiden kept going on about.

"It was you" She said, breaking his reverie with the pull of her words, her sultry voice dragging him from his thoughts by something so much more than mere sound.

"What was me?"

"You were my distraction" She said, cheeks suddenly coming alive in a forceful blush.

Scorpion felt his heart come alive, and it wasn't the first time she had caused the steady drum of it "Me?"

"I was thinking about how many times you have saved me. How you kept me warm in the night without me even knowing it" She laughed softly.

"That is my job Cecil. I had to" He said.

"Is it your job to hold me like this? Is it your job to look at me the way you are now?"

Scorpion's throat went dry and he found he couldn't hold her gaze any longer "No. It's not"

"That's what I thought" She smiled, heart beating rapidly in her chest "Liu said he couldn't train me with my these distractions. He said I need to fix the problem. The problem is that i'm not even sure if I know how..." she fixed her gaze into the horizon, which was lightening to a pale blue "...or if I even want to"

"You must" He said

"I know. Liu said a great destiny awaits me. I don't even know what it is and yet I left my entire life behind for it. Now I have a new life and I don't want to give that up too" Cecil whispered, and to her embarrassment she felt on the verge of tears.

"You are tired Cecil. Please try to sleep" Scorpion said, tightening his grip on her and providing a bit more warmth.

"Okay" she sniffed "Thank you"

Scorpion didn't reply, and she hadn't expected him to. Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts. She wanted to lie awake forever and mull them over, pick apart every word Scorpion had said to her, the way he said it, the touch of his hands on her, but her tired brain would not allow her such niceties. Not on this night.

Scorpion, on the other hand, did just that; sat awake in the darkness and thought about everything that had happened. When did things flip a one-eighty? Was it when Cecil woke in the night with a bleeding face? Or was it when he opened his damn mouth and his heart poured out instead of words? Yeah, that was it. He couldn't let this happen.


End file.
